(Replacement) International Road Safety

[Free Azell]

Draft 2:
Standardising Road Safety (?)
Category: Free Trade | Strength: Mild

The World Assembly,

Noting the need for international road safety standards for vehicles that travel across borders,

Believing that this body has the responsibility of ensuring the safety of transnational infrastructure between its member nations, so as to safeguard their population,

Convinced, furthermore, that standardising infrastructure and road safety rules across borders is an important way of reducing trade barriers between member nations,

Hereby:

1. Defines, for the purposes of this resolution, "commercial vehicles" as vehicles transporting, by road, cargo or more people than can be reasonably expected for non-commercial use;
   
   
2. Mandates that the International Transport Safety Committee (ITSC) publish minimally restrictive standards for each of the following:
   
   
   
   1. the safety of commercial vehicles, by which conducting said vehicles correctly over safe roads would minimise to safe levels risk of injury to their operators, their passengers, or people in their immediate vicinity;
      
      
   2. the aptitude of people conducting commercial vehicles, by which said people would be capable of conducting commercial vehicles correctly and safely; and
      
      
   3. the safety of roads, by which conducting commercial vehicles correctly over such roads would minimise to safe levels risk of injury to their operators, their passengers, or people in their immediate vicinity;
   
   
3. Mandates that member nations enforce these standards at public roads of any form (including bridges, overpasses, and tunnels) which cross a mutually acknowledged border between said nation and other member nations, subject to clause 4;
   
   
4. Permits member nations to enforce more restrictive standards at such roads if and only if corresponding standards are enforced on domestic roads;
   
   
5. Allows member nations to petition the World Assembly General Fund for funding, which must be granted if the member nation is in genuine need of it for compliance with the ITSC's minimum standards;
   
   
6. Requires that all funding thus obtained from the World Assembly General Fund is used in pursuit of compliance with the ITSC's minimum standards; and
   
   
7. Advises member nations to enforce the ITSC's minimum standards at internal public roads which do not cross a mutually acknowledged border between member nations.

Co-authored by Maowi

category - regulation area of effect - transportation

The World Assembly,

Noting the need for international road safety standards for vehicles that travel across borders,

Believing that this body has the responsibility of ensuring the safety of transnational infrastructure between its member nations, so as to safeguard their population,

Hereby:

1. Defines, for the purposes of this resolution, "commercial vehicles" as vehicles transporting, by road, cargo or more people than can be reasonably expected for non-commercial use;
   
   
2. Mandates that the International Transport Safety Committee (ITSC) publish minimum standards for each of the following:
   
   
   
   1. the safety of commercial vehicles, by which conducting said vehicles correctly over safe roads would minimise to safe levels risk of injury to their operators, their passengers, or people in their immediate vicinity;
      
      
   2. the aptitude of people conducting commercial vehicles, by which said people would be capable of conducting commercial vehicles correctly and safely; and
      
      
   3. the safety of roads, by which conducting commercial vehicles correctly over such roads would minimise to safe levels risk of injury to their operators, their passengers, or people in their immediate vicinity;
   
   
3. Mandates that member nations enforce at minimum these standards at public roads of any form (including bridges, overpasses, and tunnels) which cross a mutually acknowledged border between said nation and other nations;
   
   
4. Allows member nations to petition the World Assembly General Fund for funding, which must be granted if the member nation is in genuine need of it for compliance with the ITSC's minimum standards;
   
   
5. Requires that all funding thus obtained from the World Assembly General Fund is used in pursuit of compliance with the ITSC's minimum standards; and
   
   
6. Advises member nations to enforce the ITSC's minimum standards at internal public roads which do not cross a mutually acknowledged border between member nations.

Co-authored by Maowi

[Kenmoria]

“I can probably guess, but the category and strength ought to be on the draft somewhere. Also, clause 3 currently includes member nations bordering nonmembers. Was that intentional?”

[Imperium Anglorum]

I don't see the point of establishing minimum standards when nations can easily just establish more restrictive standards that serve to block trade. The purpose of uniform regulation is to reduce barriers to efficient and low-cost transport; allowing member nations to set more restrictive ones is just another form of non-tariff trade barrier. I guess one could plead 'safety', but that is predicated on dismissing this question: why shouldn't the question of road safety be dealt with at the national level instead?

[Untecna]

I don't see the point of establishing minimum standards when nations can easily just establish more restrictive standards that serve to block trade. The purpose of uniform regulation is to reduce barriers to efficient and low-cost transport; allowing member nations to set more restrictive ones is just another form of non-tariff trade barrier. I guess one could plead 'safety', but that is predicated on dismissing this question: why shouldn't the question of road safety be dealt with at the national level instead?

It seems that, for once, we agree on something. And I second that, why can't the issue of safety on roads be a national issue?

[Free Azell]

Draft 2 with suggested revision added.

[Untecna]

So, if I'm right, this is either a version of the Schenegen Agreement or a really confusing proposal.

[Free Azell]

Would love continued feedback on this replacement. We are planning to submit the repeal by weeks end.

[Imperium Anglorum]

I don't see the point of establishing minimum standards when nations can easily just establish more restrictive standards that serve to block trade. The purpose of uniform regulation is to reduce barriers to efficient and low-cost transport; allowing member nations to set more restrictive ones is just another form of non-tariff trade barrier. I guess one could plead 'safety', but that is predicated on dismissing this question: why shouldn't the question of road safety be dealt with at the national level instead?

OP.

[Free Azell]

I don't see the point of establishing minimum standards when nations can easily just establish more restrictive standards that serve to block trade. The purpose of uniform regulation is to reduce barriers to efficient and low-cost transport; allowing member nations to set more restrictive ones is just another form of non-tariff trade barrier. I guess one could plead 'safety', but that is predicated on dismissing this question: why shouldn't the question of road safety be dealt with at the national level instead?

OP.

Would removal of Clause 4 be an improvement or not?

[Azell II]

Additional feedback and suggestions would be great!

[Imperium Anglorum]

Would removal of Clause 4 be an improvement or not?

It depends on what the point of this proposal is; I don't know what it is. An international view would be one of setting specific standards of road safety so that places do not have non-tariff vehicle barriers. At the same time, this would stop stricter road safety regulations, which some nation would say would imperil safety. There is an implicit trade off there. What do you think the purpose of the proposal is?

[Indimu]

Hi, quick question. With clause 4 it gives nations the ability to enforce stricter regulations on their international roads if necessary. Does that give them the power to regulate those same roads once they cross the borders? Because if so I would additionally wonder which nation would be required to build and upkeep those. And if not, I’m not sure what that clause means since it never says anything about nations not being able to have nicer roads(just for clarification?). So I’m wondering a little about that clause, lmk if I’m just dumb

[Orbisburg]

I will say that while I'm all for improving any and all International transportation safety laws to ensure fewer accidents happen that would otherwise injure and or kill the person or persons on the road at the time. I am also unsure on a few points.
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"Noting the need for international road safety standards for vehicles that travel across borders. Believing that this body has the responsibility of ensuring the safety of transnational infrastructure between its member nations, so as to safeguard their population.
Convinced, furthermore, that standardizing infrastructure and road safety rules across borders is an important way of reducing trade barriers between member nations.
-
1-I agree that better infrastructure is a good thing what about non-member nations? After all, I would guess they also use the same roads that would be affected by this proposed resolution. What happens should something happen to them while in transit?
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"Hereby: Defines, for the purposes of this resolution, "commercial vehicles" as vehicles transporting, by road, cargo or more people than can be reasonably expected for non-commercial use.
-
2-Shouldn't trains also be added to this list. They also use roads and some level of effect should be in force in regards to train crossings. Or do you think we should oped them out of this proposed resolution?
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"Mandates that the International Transport Safety Committee (ITSC) publish minimally restrictive standards for each of the following: the safety of commercial vehicles, by which conducting said vehicles correctly over safe roads would minimize to safe levels risk of injury to their operators, their passengers, or people in their immediate vicinity; the aptitude of people conducting commercial vehicles, by which said people would be capable of conducting commercial vehicles correctly and safely; and the safety of roads, by which conducting commercial vehicles correctly over such roads would minimize to safe levels risk of injury to their operators, their passengers, or people in their immediate vicinity".
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3-This part seems fine. I can't say I disagree with what is here.
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"Mandates that member nations enforce these standards at public roads of any form (including bridges, overpasses, and tunnels) which cross a mutually acknowledged border between said nation and other member nations, subject to clause 4".
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4-What about non-member nations who move goods to or from said nations? Do they pay a tax for the use of the bridges, overpasses, and tunnels of member nations? I think that would be an acceptable addition to this clause as a means of ensuring the upkeep isn't solely on member nations, but by all who use the transportation infrastructure.
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"Permits member nations to enforce more restrictive standards at such roads if and only if corresponding standards are enforced on domestic roads.
-
5-If you already enforcing better standards why would this need to exist? I'm I missing something here?
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"Allows member nations to petition the World Assembly General Fund for funding, which must be granted if the member nation is in genuine need of it for compliance with the ITSC's minimum standards".
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6-I'm fine with this. I have nothing of note to say on this point.
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"Requires that all funding thus obtained from the World Assembly General Fund is used in pursuit of compliance with the ITSC's minimum standards; and advises member nations to enforce the ITSC's minimum standards at internal public roads which do not cross a mutually acknowledged border between member nations".
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7-I again have nothing worth saying on this point.

So having read this I can say that while I agree better safety is worthwhile I also think some edits could be done before viewing this as a finished document for the assembly floor.