Each year, more than 1.19 million people die on the world’s roads and tens of millions are seriously injured. As of 2019, road traffic crashes are the leading killer of children and youth aged 5 to 29 years and are the 12th leading cause of death when all ages are considered. With a growing and increasingly urban global population, the rising demand for mobility is set to overwhelm transport systems, particularly those that rely heavily on private vehicles. Yet many countries continue to design and build their mobility systems for motor vehicles, not for people, and not with safety as the main concern. This slows efforts to save lives and to protect vulnerable road users.
Alongside the devastation that road traffic crashes impose on victims’ families and loved ones, traffic crashes take a tremendous toll on the economy. Some estimates put the global macroeconomic cost of road traffic injuries as high as US$ $1.8 trillion, roughly equivalent to 10–12% of global gross domestic product (GDP).
Thankfully, these consequences are preventable and NGOs play a critical role in reducing the impact of road traffic crashes around the world.
Click on the report below to learn more about the global challenge, and the challenge in your country:
