Roads are now the biggest killer of young people over the age of 10, with road traffic deaths constituting a global health epidemic that has reached crisis proportions, according to a report published on Wednesday. The Safe and Sustainable Roads report, launched by the Campaign for Global Road Safety, says road safety is one of the world’s greatest development challenges and predicts the number of people killed in traffic accidents will rise from 1.3 million to 2 million a year if no urgent action is taken.
Currently, 3,500 people die every day in traffic-related incidents and 50 million are injured every year on the world’s roads.
The report blames the high numbers of fatalities on transport policies that put vehicles, highways and speed before people and road safety. The vast majority of those who die are in developing countries, with 20 countries accounting for 70% of global road deaths.
Children and young people are the worst affected, with road traffic injuries now the single biggest source of fatality among 10 to 24-year-olds worldwide. In 2004, the last year for which comprehensive data is available, road traffic injuries killed more 5- to 14-year-olds than malaria, diarrhoea and HIV and AIDS.
If left unhindered, the report warns that spiralling road deaths and injuries will be a significant barrier to the world hitting education and poverty targets set out in the millennium development goals.
The Campaign for Global Road Safety is urging world leaders to take urgent action to integrate sustainable transport and road safety into the Rio+20 framework.
It warns there is no “hidden magic bullet” for tackling road safety but says that, unlike many other health epidemics, there are simple, affordable and tested interventions that are simply not being applied or enforced.
These include the enforcement of rules on crash helmets, seat belts and drink driving, and the strengthening of vehicle safety provisions.
“The epidemic of road traffic injury is a source of poverty, human suffering and economic waste on a global scale,” says Kevin Watkins, senior research fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of the report. “Over the next two decades, the number of vehicles in the world’s poorest countries will increase at an unprecedented rate. Unlike some of the issues that will be discussed at the Rio+20 summit, there are few unknowns in road safety. It’s not rocket science, yet progress has been painfully slow.
“Bilateral donors and the World Bank have been talking for years about putting road safety at the centre of their infrastructure programmes – but the rhetoric has yet to deliver results.”
The report sets out recommendations that could help prevent road deaths, including stronger regulation to prevent car manufacturers conducting a “race to the bottom” in vehicle safety provisions for the poorest countries. It says an additional $200m is needed annually to support the development of national road safety strategies in countries worst hit by road traffic fatalities.
Keywords: road accident, road safety, road traffic, traffic management, road deaths, traffic policy, transport policy, road traffic injury
Road traffic conditions reflect the basic attitude of people towards others like respect for other's time, life etc. That basic courtesy is missing in developing countries. No value for others on the road-hit and run cases are everyday affair. People go to temples and spend hours on prayers but no morality comes out of it. Even the so called saints are having posh cars rushing through the roads. Attitude should be sown in young minds from the childhood. Is that happening ? The exactly opposite is what is happening. Rat race mindset is cultivated from schools in children. Win at any cost forgetting about others. Where is this world going ??
Having been through a road accident death of a young person in the family a few
weeks back I know what it feels like to lose a family member. Road accidents, in my opinion, caused by 1. Lack of knowledge of road rules and safe driving methods 2. No infrastructure for preparing new drivers to learn safe driving. It is not uncommon, even now, to get a driving license without going through any tests or scrutiny in most parts of the country. 3. Poor roads and traffic infrastructure 4. No timely medical support for the injured 5. Apathy by the government officials police and the general public regarding safety issues.
99% of the urban road stretches in India is constructed in a way that looks like a road constructed 100 years back: no consideration for pedestrians, many obstacles dangling on to the road- from waste bin to tree-branches, advertisements etc, little consideration for safety of the users of the road (those in vehicle , and those outside), very poor maintenance.
When I was in India, every year I heard from some close friend or relative grieving for a death due to accident. Every month I got an accident and every day I see deadly accident. And the families devastated and mourn for it. But nobody including me know how to raise their voice. Now I am in US and I see accidents, but mostly not deadly. But I have seen many moms talking to senators, in congress about the pain, get proposals from other friends or relatives suggestions to prevent such incidents and implement them.
Taiwan is similarly crowded, but the people are more disciplined. So very less accidents. Our bribing system is bleeding us to death(license without appearing in person)!! And when u build roads to remove congestion, there is more accidents because the drivers drive fast. And the residents around that area dig wholes to make the drivers slow down!!! It will be great if colleges add driving and road safety also as one course and everybody must pass to graduate!!!
This is a failure of the Govt and also of the people. First govt
should improve public transport -like trains and buses and follow
Singapore model. They should allow buses and trucks only on certain
wide roads and ban auto rickshaws in cities.Trucks should not ply
during peak hours.
Also, impose stiff penalties for speeding,breaking red signal,
drinking and driving etc. Provide overhead crossing at major junctions for pedestrians. This should reduce the accidents to a large extent. Not sure whether all these will be done due to our 1)exploding population and continuous migratrion from villages into Cities 2)Corruption and inefficiency in our Govt,Police, law enforcement.
In spite of pouring money on roads, their quality is bad in India. There
are no separate lanes for different kind of vehicles. Speed limits are
not adhered. Overtaking is pleasure for drivers risking themselves and
causing injuries to others. Unless, these are rectified/addressed, road
accidents in India can not be controlled as there is no limit for
vehicular traffic and its numbers are increasing manifold
disproportionate to total road surface.
Yes! it's very saddening :( that speed and reckless driving with a deadly combination of no adherence to traffic rules create havoc in the life's of living who loose their dear ones in accidents once such incident that saddened me is of a accident that happened in Mumbai due to the carelessness of BEST driver, the person who died was on his way to collect his marriage dress which was to happen in May, other one happened on sunday in Pandalam (Kerala) where 2 lives lost due to mishap between bike and superfast KSRTC one of deceased was just married :( and the other person has an old aged mother to take care of with no other siblings either :( Every one knows speed kills than too govt. allows permit for superfast bus ....... :( :(
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