Richard Stanley, who has died aged 71, was a master storyteller and the creative force behind a campaign that has put road safety in the developing world on the international agenda.
Fifteen years ago road safety in the world’s poorest countries was a cause without champions. While other health epidemics prompted global summits, road traffic injury-the leading global killer of young people aged between five and 29 – was consigned to peripheral meetings of technical experts. To Richard, this was indefensible.
Working with the FIA Foundation from 2004, Richard framed a new campaigning narrative. His weapon of choice was the documentary and short-form video.
Stunning cinematography provided the backdrop to a gritty reportage. Richard cajoled successive UN secretary generals, prime ministers, presidents and heads of development agencies to go on the record about road traffic injury. But his lead characters were always the forgotten victims and ordinary people: bereaved mothers, injured children, and people left with shattered limbs.
