Global Road Safety Issue

Global scene:

• 1.3 million people are killed on the world`s roads each year.
• Road crashes kill more people than Malaria (2.2% against 1.7% of total deaths worldwide, according to WHO Report 2008).
• 50 million people are injured, many disabled as a result.
• 90% of these casualties occur in developing countries.
• Annual deaths are forecast to rise to 1.9 million by 2020 (WHO).
• It is already No.1 cause of death for young people worldwide.
• Road crashes kill 260,000 children under the age of 18 each year.
• By 2015 it will be the leading health burden for children over the age of five in developing countries.
• The economic cost to developing countries is at least $ 100 billion a year.
• Injuries place immense burdens on hospitals and health systems.
• Road crashes are preventable.
• With right action, up to 5 million lives could be saved and 50 million injuries prevented during the UN Decade of Action for road safety 2011-2020.

European scene:

120,000 fatalities in the European Region per year (WHO Report 2009).
2.4 million people are injured.
All the countries with road fatality rates above the European average are located in Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Baltics and the Balkans.   
Road deaths in these countries are three times higher than in Western Europe, despite having smaller vehicle fleets.  
53% of deaths are car occupants.
Males account for 80% of young adult fatalities.