Saving Lives on the Road: Colombia’s Julián Esteban law

Julián Esteban had a passion for cycling. Tragically his life was cut short at twelve years old while doing what he loved best: riding his bicycle. His mother became a steadfast road safety advocate and his story became a symbol of the urgent need for change in Colombia. La Liga Contra La Violencia Vial (La Liga) and the Universidad de los Andes, among other civil society organizations (CSO), joined forces to push for a law that would protect all road users. They campaigned inside Congress and built a groundswell of support among the public. In July 2022 following a targeted advocacy campaign, President Duque signed Bill 2251, also known as the ‘Julián Esteban Law,’ into law. This policy introduced nationwide speed limit reductions, promising to save countless lives. It was a powerful step toward safer roads for all.

Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) supported the efforts of local partners funded by the Global Road Safety Partnership, as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety.

The Challenge

In Colombia, nearly 9,000 people will lose their lives due to road crashes in 2025. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, this trend has been increasing.

Speeding is associated with 40 percent of fatal crashes in the country. For more than fifteen years, CSOs have advocated to reduce speed limits, some of which are as high as 80 km/h on urban roads. Based on scientific evidence, the World Health Organization recommends a maximum speed in urban areas be 50 km/h on roads where there are no interactions between motorized vehicles and vulnerable users, such as pedestrians and cyclists. In areas with vulnerable users, including residential and school zones, the recommended limit drops to and 30 km/h.

Beyond speed, CSOs identified Colombia’s outdated vehicle safety regulations as a critical issue. A 2019 analysis revealed that seven out of every ten privately sold vehicles failed to provide adequate protection for occupants, with safety standards lagging approximately 20 years behind European requirements.

Safer speeds and safer cars are critical elements of the Safe System Approach recommended by the United Nations, along with safer infrastructure, safer road users and effective post-crash response. This human-centered approach recognizes that while people will inevitably make mistakes, no one should die as a result. It anticipates human error by designing systems to minimize severity of the mistakes. Colombia needed legislative changes to mandate these safety measures.

GHAI's Role

To address speeding and outdated vehicle standards, CSOs Despacio and La Liga collaborated with GHAI to launch the Carros Más Seguros (Safer Cars) mass media campaign. Running from 2020 to 2021, the campaign sparked a public debate about the dangers of high speeds and vehicles lacking safety standards. Its provocative message “What about safety? Demand a safer car” called the attention of passersby in one of Bogotá’s busiest commercial zones. It included striking visual installations, crash test comparisons and interactive kiosks that educated citizens about disparities in vehicle safety standards. By engaging thousands of people and generating widespread media coverage, the campaign created public demand for stricter safety regulations while pressuring automakers to prioritize safer vehicle designs for the Colombian market.

GHAI provided technical assistance to strengthen partners' skills in integrated communications campaign design and execution. Prominent media coverage was achieved as a result of the campaign’s bold messaging and strategic outreach, which included collaboration with journalists, social media coordination and engagement with prominent news outlets.

Caption: “What about safety? Demand a safer car” were the messages shown in the Safer Cars campaign exhibition in a popular commercial zone of Bogota, Colombia.

Caption: Mock gravestones were used for the “What about safety? Demand a safer car” exhibition—part of the Safer Cars campaign— which delivered a powerful message about the deadly consequences of unsafe vehicles and the need for stronger safety standards.

GHAI supported the formation of a civil society coalition that brought together two leading universities—Universidad Javeriana and Universidad de Los Andes, a human rights defender and legal research center, Dejusticia, and road safety organizations, including Despacio and La Liga. Together, they launched an intensive campaign featuring technical meetings with Executive and Legislative decision-makers presenting compelling public health and human rights arguments for the proposed policy measures. Through these efforts, CSOs shared robust evidence on the need for safer cars and lower speeds, empowering them to introduce and successfully defend Bill 2251.

The bill’s success combined scientific evidence with a powerful human story. Julián Esteban’s tragic death garnered extensive media attention, and his mother María Fernanda Torres joined the advocacy campaign. She not only allowed the coalition to name the bill in her son’s honor, but also used her voice to convince members of Congress during the final vote in the House. The day of the vote, a front-page ad in El Espectador—Colombia’s second most-read newspaper—urged Congress to approve the law, in memory of Julián Esteban and thousands of other victims. These coordinated advocacy efforts ultimately led to the passage of this legislation.

Caption: Front-page ad in Colombia’s El Espectador newspaper urged Congress to approve the Julian Esteban Law, while highlighting the number of deaths (7,270) due to road crashes in 2021.

Success

Advocates overcame significant challenges prior to the bill’s passage in July 2022. Obstacles included generating public support, despite the widespread opposition to lower speed limits and overcoming the automobile industry's challenge to higher vehicle safety standards.

The effort proved successful. The Julián Esteban Law mandates that municipal transit authorities comply with new speed limits of 50km/h in urban zones and implement speed management plans to enforce the law, which must be updated every two years. The law also requires the Ministry of Transport to draft an implementation plan for the UN vehicle safety standards within three years. Building on this momentum, Colombia passed additional legislation in 2023, becoming the first Latin American country to ratify the 1958 Agreement governing vehicle safety standards. The President must now submit Colombia’s official request to join the Treaty.

Looking Ahead

Since the Julián Esteban Law took effect, critical implementation steps have followed. In 2023, the Ministry of Transport passed resolutions requiring all municipalities in Colombia to draft speed management plans and implement the newly established speed limits.

Universidad de los Andes has supported this effort through its “Conduce a 50, Vive al 100” (Drive at 50, Live to 100) campaign, creating a “Safer Speed Alliance” network for transit authorities. This initiative provides technical assistance to local authorities developing speed management plans, working alongside the National Road Safety Agency and ASOCAPITALES (Association of Colombian capital cities). To date, more than 400 transit professionals have participated in trainings, and over 150 local authorities have committed to implementing speed plans in their municipalities.

GHAI enhanced the campaign’s impact through social media and journalism workshops. Ongoing education helps to maintain public support for evidence-based despite political pressures.

Through safer roads and safer vehicles, Julián Esteban leaves a lasting legacy that helps save lives across Colombia.

Caption: Road safety coalition members in Congress advocating for the passage of road safety policy measures, in 2022.

Caption: Juan Pablo Bocarejo, Executive Director for Conduce a 50, Vivie al 100, a Los Andes University initiative and Julián Esteban’s mother, Fernanda Torres.

Lessons Learned

CSO coalitions can become influential actors when equipped with evidence, persuasive arguments and effective advocacy strategies.

Building relationships and fostering trust with lawmakers—grounded in scientific evidence, free of conflicts of interest and supported by nonpartisan partnerships—enabled CSOs to cultivate strong champions for road safety.

Human stories are powerful tools in influencing policymakers about the tangible impact of proposed policy changes on people's lives.

Media advocacy is critical for raising public awareness and creating a sense of urgency, which in turn drives political will.

Mass media campaigns play a crucial role in advocacy efforts. They amplify messages to a broader audience, including those not directly involved in policy discussions.

Linking public health, human rights and road safety creates a powerful narrative that aligns policy measures with fundamental values: life, health and personal integrity.

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