Organised by Universidad Europea and CIFAL Madrid-RACE, the UNITAR training centre

• The Director-General for Traffic and the Director of Traffic Management of the Basque Government, give their classes on Road Safety and Road Safety Education, respectively, in the auditorium of the DGT.
• The students come from countries such as Colombia, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Paraguay.
• The students who complete the degree will receive the world’s first postgraduate UN degree in Road Safety Management and Administration.

Students of six nationalities who are taking the Expert in Road Safety Management and Administration programme visit the facilities of the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT), and receive classes from Gregorio Serrano, Director of the DGT, and Sonia Díaz de Corcuera, Director of Traffic Management for the Basque Government. This course is organised by Universidad Europea and the Royal Automobile Club of Spain (RACE), as the body responsible for the CIFAL Madrid Centre, in collaboration with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). It is aimed at public officials, leaders and professionals in this field from around the world.

One of the aims of the University Degree of Expert in Road Safety Management and Administration, the first UN postgraduate programme of its kind in the world, is to extend the knowledge and training of professionals in accident prevention through models of management and good practice. To do so, among the activities programmed in the four weeks of classes of the academic programme, the students have learned about the management model for the M-30 tunnels in Madrid; they have been shown how to start up specialised practical training schools through their experience with the driving instruction courses that have been operating for 25 years in the Jarama Circuit-RACE; and now, on this DGT visit, they have discovered the management system of a traffic monitoring centre, and the organic structure of the institution. To complete the classes, Mónica Colás, the deputy director-general for training, explained the work of the Higher Council for Traffic.

From the experience of two of the people responsible for traffic management in Spain, the head of the DGT and the director for traffic management of the Basque Government, the 18 students on the course have learned the objectives and work plans of the two institutions for the improvement of traffic and accident prevention first hand. They undoubtedly provide an excellent example of the good practices that have led to a reduction in traffic accidents in Spain over recent years.

The course is now in its final week. Over the first few weeks of training, the students learned about the factors involved in accidents; they had the opportunity to work on occupational road safety plans, urban mobility, road safety plans, programmes of analysis such as LatinNCAP or those developed by the FIA Foundation and the German automobile club ADAC. Through the experience of 42 professionals from a variety of sectors, including the Director-General for Traffic, the Public Prosecutor for Road Safety, members of parliament and municipal authorities, the aim is for students to discover the efforts and actions that have led to a cut in traffic accidents. They have been offered a practical vision of the experiences, innovations and bodies involved in managing traffic and mobility, which can then be implemented in their countries of origin.

The first class of UN Experts in Road Safety

On 22 June, the first postgraduate degree of Expert in Road Safety Management and Administration will come to an end. The students will defend the project they have carried out in teams in a public presentation.

As part of the final assessment, together with the weekly tests and teamwork, students must carry out a graduation project to be delivered in September. Once they have defended their project, they will obtain the degree granted by Universidad Europea, CIFAL Madrid-RACE and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

For more information:
CIFAL Madrid RACE
Communications Department
info@cifalmadrid.org