Deaths caused by traffic accidents are a global problem, with 1.35 million people died each year as a result of traffic accidents. Traffic accidents are also the eighth leading cause of death for all ages and the leading cause of death in children and adolescents, aged 5 to 29 years. Nearly 50 percent of deaths from traffic accidents occur among vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. More than 90 percent of traffic accidents occur in developing countries which also have a higher death rate from traffic accidents when compared to other developed countries (WHO, 2018).
In Indonesia, the death rate from traffic accidents reached 30,568 in 2017, with a death rate per 100,000 population reaching 12.2. This death rate is lower than the average death rate in Southeast Asia, which is 17.8 per 100,000 population. However, the economic loss due to traffic accidents reaches 4 percent of GDP. For this reason, effective handling of traffic safety, such as road design, traffic engineering and management, technology, education and campaigns, law enforcement, statutory regulations, and others, is needed to reduce the impact of accident problems on social and economic welfare.
Addressing traffic safety problems requires reliable human resources. Master in Tansportation Systems and Engineering (MSTT), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gadjah Mada University, in collaboration with several universities in Europe (Linkoping University, University of Porto, University of Rome Tor Vergata) and Asia (University of Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, University of Malaya, Malaysia University of Science and Technology, University of Transport and Communication, Nguyen Tat Thanh University) through the Erasmus+ Program is developing higher education capacity (Capacity-Building in the field of Higher Education/E+CBHE) through Modernization, Development and Capacity Building Master Curriculum in Traffic Safety at Asian Universities (Modernisation, Development and Capacity Building of Master Curriculum in Traffic Safety in Asian Universities, ASIASAFE) starting in January 2021. Educational capacity building in higher education is carried out by developing, adapting, and implementing a more modern and advanced master’s program curriculum in the field of road traffic safety in accordance with European Union (EU) traffic safety standards, best practices, and national accreditation.
The Fifth Erasmus+ ASIASAFE Consortium Workshop is part of a series of workshops which are held regularly and in rotation at each member university of the consortium. This fifth workshop was held at the Smart and Green Learning Center (SGLC) Building, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, from 29 to 31 August 2022. The workshop was held as an arena for consortium members to discuss the progress of curriculum development, sharing knowledge (public lectures), grants for learning support equipment, student mobility, summer courses, and various possibilities for developing collaboration. More information in https://asiasafe.info/