World and Current Situation
Every day, millions of people around the world take to the roads to get to work, school, or home. However, road traffic crashes remain a major global public health and development challenge. While recent data shows that the measures taken are working, it also reminds us that we are still in the early stages of reaching our goals.
From 2010 to 2021: From 1.25 Million to 1.19 Million
Estimates suggest that approximately 1.19 million road traffic deaths occurred in 2021. This figure represents a 5% decrease compared to the 1.25 million lives lost in 2010.
A crucial detail is this: More than half of the United Nations Member States managed to reduce road traffic deaths between 2010 and 2021.
Moreover, this reduction is occurring against a challenging backdrop:
The global motor vehicle fleet has nearly doubled,
Road networks have expanded significantly,
The global population has increased by approximately one billion people.
Despite all this, the slight decline in deaths demonstrates that efforts to improve road traffic safety are working. However, this pace is insufficient to meet the target of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030 to halve deaths by 2030. In other words, the picture conveys the message: "We are on the right track, but not moving fast enough."
A "Hidden Epidemic" for Youth: Ages 5–29
Road traffic deaths and injuries remain a critical issue for global health and development.
As of 2019:
Road traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5–29 years.
Across all age groups, it ranks 12th.
Two-thirds of deaths occur among working-age individuals between 18 and 59 years old. This results in:
A massive health burden across society,
Social trauma at the family level,
Economic and productivity losses for countries.
In short, this is not just a "traffic" issue; it is also a matter of workforce, education, social welfare, and development.
Who Dies the Most? Vulnerable Road Users at the Forefront
The data reveals a clear picture regarding the distribution of road traffic deaths:
More than half of all deaths consist of pedestrians, motorcyclists, and cyclists.
Occupants of four-wheeled vehicles account for nearly one-third of deaths.
Passengers of vehicles carrying more than 10 people, heavy goods vehicles, and "other" users make up one-fifth of all deaths.
Micro-mobility modes, such as e-scooters, account for 3% of deaths.
In summary; vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists continue to be exposed to danger.
Global Status Report on Road Safety
An Unequal Burden: Low- and Middle-Income Countries
9 out of 10 deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. People in low-income countries, in particular, continue to face the highest risk of death per capita.
Globally, the regional distribution of road traffic deaths is as follows:
28% in the WHO South-East Asia Region,
25% in the Western Pacific Region,
19% in the African Region,
12% in the Region of the Americas,
11% in the Eastern Mediterranean Region,
5% in the European Region.
This picture clearly demonstrates that countries with limited economic capacity lag behind in road safety infrastructure and highlights a clear global inequality.
When we look at the change in death toll by region:
The European Region reports the largest decline, with a 36% reduction in deaths since 2010.
A 16% reduction was reported in the Western Pacific Region,
A 2% reduction was reported in the South-East Asia Region.
The number of lives lost in the Region of the Americas remained stable.
In the general outlook, by 2021:
A decrease in the number of deaths was observed in 108 countries;
Among these, there are 10 countries that managed to reduce the death toll by up to 50%.
Conversely, 66 countries experienced an increase in death numbers.
This tells us the following: While some countries are making progress at a level to serve as "good examples", a significant number of countries are still moving in the wrong direction.