Accelerating actions for implementation of decade of action for road safety

Overview

Road traffic injuries are a major public health burden causing huge numbers of avoidable deaths and
disabilities. Globally, over 1.3 million people are killed and up to 50 million injured in road accidents
every year. Almost 90% of these deaths and injuries occur in low- and middle-income countries,
putting additional burden on health systems, besides causing loss of precious human resources, as
well as untold misery and economic consequences to families and countries.

The WHO South-East Asia Region accounts for more than a quarter of all the global deaths due
to road accidents. In 2013, as many as 316 000 people were killed in road crashes in the Region.
Over 50% of these deaths were of vulnerable road users (VRUs), primarily motorized two-and three-wheeler riders.

Road traffic injuries are predicted to increase to be the seventh leading cause of death by 2030
from the current ninth position, unless governments, stakeholders and partners step up efforts to
address this issue on a priority.