Matthew Baldwin, Deputy Director-General for Mobility and Transport, Coordinator for Road Safety and Sustainable Mobility for the European Commission announces the first-ever recipient of the EU Urban Road safety Award; Pontevedra in Spain.

Pontevedra have succeeded in reducing road fatalities in the city consistently since 1999; achieving zero road deaths between 2011 and 2018. A host of measures ensure that safety and sustainability go hand-in-hand. The city used a clear and careful monitoring strategy to identify which policies are effective and which need to be updated, resulting in increased active mobility, such as walking and cycling: In Pontevedra, 80% of children aged 6-12 walk to school by themselves. The jury was impressed by Pontevedra’s use of a broad array of measures, including reducing speed limits to 10-30 km/h and creating more public spaces that are attractive for pedestrians.