About 500 persons are killed in accidents on the national roads every year, the head of the Traffic Police Division Gheorghe Botnariuc said in a news conference organized by the World Bank Office in Moldova, Info-Prim Neo reports. On May 26, the World Bank gathered key players to discuss efforts to improve road safety in Moldova through better policing. The participants stressed that modern and safe roads are critical to improving business activity, connecting citizens to services, schools and hospitals and making Moldovan goods more competitive on foreign markets. “Road accidents are a leading cause of fatalities in Moldova”, said Melanie Marlett, World Bank Country Manager in Moldova.”The country needs modern and safe roads to connect people to schools, hospitals and build a thriving business environment.” A joint donor roads mission comprising the World Bank, European Investment Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Commission and the Millennium Challenge Corporation is visiting Moldova this week to monitor the implementation of the Government’s Roads Sector Program. The development partners discussed ways to enhance Moldova’s infrastructure and looked at road investment options. Moldova is a signatory to the March 2010 United Nations Resolution calling for a Decade of Action on Road Safety and a “Make Roads Safe” Campaign is on track to raise awareness of road safety measures such as wearing seat belts and helmets, using child car seats and not speeding or drink-driving. Moldova aims to halve the number of fatalities on the roads by 2015.