The National Road Safety Council of Armenia
The National Road Safety Council (NRSC) had its first meeting as a small new NGO in 2005. As a result of its efforts, Armenia’s dormant seat belt law was enforced for the first time last year, resulting in a 20% reduction in road fatalities and 12% decline in casualties in just one year. In March 2010, just five years after the NGO’s first meeting, a decree by the Armenian Prime Minister formally established the NRSC as the secretariat of a new Road Safety Council of Armenia. This new body is responsible for overseeing and developing the country’s National Road Safety Strategy and Five Year Action Plan for 2010-2015. Council meetings are chaired by the Prime Minister, and membership includes key government ministers, along with active civil society road safety campaigners.
The achievement is particularly significant given the origins of the NRSC. The NRSC’s Founder/Director, Poghos Shahinyan, was in 2004 the first FIA Foundation Road Safety Scholar while working as an advocacy specialist. In 2005 Poghos established the NRSC as a fledgling NGO with sponsorship from the Foundation.