Global status report on road safety – WHO

There is a phone call or a knock on the door that we all dread, in which we are told that a loved one has been killed or seriously injured in a road traffic crash. We shiver as emergency vehicles speed past us on the road to attend a crash. Our hearts miss a beat as we hear about a “road accident” on the news. But road traffic crashes are not “accidents”. They are completely preventable.

This report shows that the problem is getting worse. Deaths from road traffic crashes have increased to 1.35 million a year. That’s nearly 3 700 people dying on the world’s roads every day. Tens of millions more are injured or disabled every year, people who suffer life-altering injuries with long-lasting effects. These losses take a huge toll on families and communities. The cost of emergency response, health care and human grief are immense. There are many reasons for this trend: rapid urbanization, poor safety standards, lack of enforcement, people driving distracted or fatigued, others under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speeding and a failure to wear seat-belts or helmets.

Please find full report attached. WHO Global status report on road safety