Geneva, 13 December 2023 – The annual number of road traffic deaths fell slightly to 1.19 million per year, according to the latest WHO report. However, with more than 2 deaths per minute and more than 3,200 per day, traffic accidents remain the main cause of death among children and young people between 5 and 29 years old.
The latest WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023 shows that since 2010, road traffic deaths have decreased by 5% to 1.19 million annually*. However, road traffic accidents remain a persistent global health crisis, with pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users facing an acute and increasing risk of death.
«The tragic number of road traffic deaths is going in the right direction, down, but not fast enough,» says WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “The carnage on our roads is preventable. “We call on all countries to put people, not cars, at the center of their transport systems and ensure the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users.”
Among UN Member States, 108 countries reported a drop in traffic-related deaths between 2010 and 2021. Ten countries managed to reduce traffic deaths by more than 50%: Belarus, Brunei Darussalam, Denmark, Russian Federation , Japan, Lithuania, Norway. Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. Thirty-five more countries made notable progress, reducing deaths by 30% to 50%.
Global load and vulnerable users
The report shows that 28% of the world’s road traffic deaths occurred in the WHO South-East Asia Region, 25% in the Western Pacific Region, 19% in the African Region, 12 % in the Americas Region, 11% in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and 5% in the European Region.
Nine out of 10 deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, and deaths in these countries are disproportionately higher compared to the number of vehicles and roads they have. The risk of death is three times higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries; However, low-income countries have only 1% of the world’s motor vehicles.
Fifty-three percent of all traffic deaths are vulnerable road users, including: pedestrians (23%); drivers of two- and three-wheeled motorized vehicles, such as motorcycles (21%); cyclists (6%); and users of micromobility devices such as e-scooters (3%). Deaths among occupants of cars and other light 4-wheeled vehicles fell slightly to 30% of global deaths.
«Our mission at Bloomberg Philanthropies is to save and improve as many lives as possible, and one of the best ways to do that is to make more of the world’s roads safe for everyone,» said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies. and WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries, who also wrote a foreword for the report. “For more than a decade, we have made encouraging progress together with the World Health Organization and our partners. Still, as this new report makes clear, road safety requires stronger commitments from governments around the world, and we will continue to urge more leaders to take action to save lives.”
Pedestrian deaths increased by 3% to 274,000 between 2010 and 2021, accounting for 23% of global deaths. Deaths among cyclists increased by almost 20%, to 71,000, representing 6% of global deaths. Meanwhile, research indicates that 80% of the world’s roads do not meet pedestrian safety standards and only 0.2% have bicycle lanes, leaving these road users dangerously exposed. And although 9 in 10 people surveyed identify as pedestrians, only a quarter of countries have policies to promote walking, cycling and public transport.
They ask for better standards and policies
The report reveals an alarming lack of progress in advancing safety laws and standards. Only six countries have laws that meet WHO best practices for all risk factors (speeding, driving under the influence and use of motorcycle helmets, seat belts and child restraints), while 140 countries (two-thirds of United Nations Member States) have such laws for at least one of these risk factors. Of note, 23 of these countries have amended their laws to comply with WHO best practices since the 2018 Global Status Report on Road Safety.
The global motor vehicle fleet is expected to double by 2030. However, only 35 countries (less than a fifth of UN Member States) legislate on all key vehicle safety features (e.g. advanced braking systems, front and side impact protection, etc.). . The report also reveals significant gaps in ensuring safe road infrastructure, with only 51 countries (a quarter of UN Member States) having laws requiring safety inspections covering all road users.
Note to editors
The OMS Global status report on road safety 2023 is the fifth in a series that measures progress in reducing traffic deaths. This report covers progress between 2010 and 2021 and establishes a baseline for efforts to meet the UN Decade of Action 2021-2030 goal of halving road traffic deaths by 2030.
This report was prepared with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Since 2007, Bloomberg Philanthropies has committed $500 million to support road safety interventions in low- and middle-income countries and cities around the world.
—————————————–
*This would translate into a 16% decrease if the increase in world population is taken into account.
I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.
Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you.