Jacobs strengthens commitment to safer roads with International Road Assessment Programme initiative

Jacobs has signed the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) #SaferRoadsPledge, a leadership initiative designed to eliminate high‑risk roads worldwide.

Jacobs joins the global campaign which has already garnered pledges from 86 countries. The pledges support ongoing discussions with road designers, financiers and road design software providers for initiatives and programs which embed safer standards in road designs, projects and policies to save lives. 

iRAP star ratings give a simple measure of how safely a road is designed for drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists, and pedestrians. Using around 50 features of the road and its surroundings — like lane widths, junction types, and roadside hazards — along with traffic speed and flow, the iRAP model assesses how likely and how severe crashes could be. Each road section receives a score that is grouped into a 1‑to‑5‑star scale, where 1 star indicates high risk and 5 stars indicate low risk.  The safer roads pledge supports a safety rating of 3-stars or more.

iRAP, the International Road Federation (IRF) and FIA Foundation launched the #SaferRoadsPledge campaign ahead of the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety held in Marrakech in February 2025, calling on organizations involved in designing and financing roads to pledge their commitment for safer roads.

The initiative is guided by the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 which recommends using road safety audits and star ratings to improve the safety of roads and designs. United Nations Road Safety Performance Targets 3 and 4 include ensuring all new roads are built to a 3-star or better standard for all road users, and more than 75% of travel is on roads with the equivalent of 3-stars or higher for all road users by 2030.

Leaders from across the world gathered at the Ministerial Conference to assess progress made in implementing the Global Plan for the Decade of Action during its initial five-year period and generate support for the new vision of safe and sustainable mobility.

With just four years remaining and the recent launch of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport 2026-2035, commitments to accelerate the transition toward road systems that are safer, more inclusive and greener for all have never been more important.

“Road crashes tragically claim a life every two minutes, and they remain the leading cause of death among young people,” says iRAP Chief of Future Impact Rob McInerney. “Time is running out to achieve the UN’s goal of halving road deaths and injuries by 2030. Urgent action and commitment are vital to improving road safety.”

“At Jacobs, safety is fundamental to how we deliver for our clients and communities,” says Jacobs’ Senior Vice President Camille McGregor. “By joining the #SaferRoadsPledge, we’re reinforcing our commitment to designing and delivering transport systems that protect lives, strengthen resilience and support safer mobility for every road user, everywhere.”

Evidence shows that increasing the star rating of a road by a single star can halve crash costs — and that roads with at least 3-stars have the potential to reduce fatalities. An independent study by Johns Hopkins University has found that iRAP partners worldwide have saved an estimated 860,000 fatalities and serious injuries through investment in safer road projects from 2016 through the end of 2025 using the iRAP tools.

Jacobs encourages organizations across the transport ecosystem to join the #SaferRoadsPledge and champion safer, more inclusive mobility for all. 

Organizations and individuals wishing to make a #SaferRoadsPledge can do so at the campaign website irap.org/pledge.