The Asian Transport Observatory (ATO) contributed to the third session of the 'Protecting Lives: Children, Youth and Vulnerable Road Users within the Safe System' webinar series, held on 30 June 2026. The session brought together experts from academia, international organizations, industry, and civil society, with more than 120 participants, to discuss improving motorcycle safety across Asia and the Pacific.

As part of the program, Adwait Limaye presented "Protecting the Most Vulnerable: Rethinking Motorcycle Safety in Asia-Pacific," drawing on evidence from ATO's regional databases and policy tracker. The presentation highlighted the region's continued dependence on motorcycles, the disproportionate safety risks faced by motorcyclists, gaps in safer road infrastructure, and the limited policy attention at the intersection of motorcycles and vulnerable road users.

Other speakers explored motorcycle safety from multiple perspectives, including the burden of fatalities and injuries, practical road safety initiatives, technology-enabled safety measures for motorcycle taxi services, and lessons from helmet safety programmes. Discussions highlighted the importance of combining safer infrastructure, stronger institutions, improved rider behaviour, appropriate vehicle standards, and evidence-informed policymaking to reduce motorcycle-related fatalities and injuries across the region.

The webinar formed part of the Road Safety Capacity Building Program supported by the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR), financed by the Government of Japan through the Asian Development Bank.

A summary of the session is available on the APRSO website: https://www.aprso.org/news/keeping-two-wheeler-journeys-safe-highlights-third-session-latest-webinar-series. The webinar recording is also available on the APRSO website: https://www.aprso.org/videos/protecting-lives-children-youth-and-vulnerable-road-users-within-safe-system-session-3.

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