New York: Europe and the Arabs

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the number of deaths from road traffic crashes decreased by 21 percent between 2011 and 2025, despite the addition of more than one billion vehicles to the world's roads during the same period.

The organization stated that the world witnessed significant shifts in transportation patterns during these years, with the emergence of new modes of transport and a sharp increase in motorcycle use.

Despite this progress, road traffic crashes are projected to claim the lives of approximately 1.16 million people in 2025, and injuries resulting from them remain the leading cause of death among children and young adults aged 5 to 29. According to the UN Daily News Bulletin, a copy of which we received Tuesday morning:

New Political Declaration

These new statistics, published by the World Health Organization, coincide with the UN General Assembly's adoption on Monday of a new declaration on progress in road safety. The declaration aims to strengthen global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal target of reducing road traffic deaths and serious injuries by 50 percent by 2030, compared to 2021 levels.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "This progress shows that change is possible when countries invest in safe road systems. Over the past 15 years, we have made real progress in reducing road traffic deaths, despite the significant increase in the number of vehicles and major shifts in mobility patterns." Road traffic deaths are preventable.

The UN official commended the countries for adopting this ambitious political declaration, which aims to accelerate action to design roads that put people first, not vehicles, and prioritize safety. He noted that "all road traffic deaths are preventable, and none are acceptable."

The new UN declaration includes a comprehensive set of commitments made by member states, including the development of national road safety strategies with clear objectives, timelines, and budgets; the establishment of national bodies to lead road safety efforts; improved data collection and analysis; the enactment and enforcement of stricter legislation; and ensuring that roads, infrastructure, and vehicles meet basic safety standards.

The declaration also commits to a "safe system" approach, which acknowledges that humans will continue to make mistakes while using roads. This approach aims to design safer roads, infrastructure, and vehicles, and to establish appropriate speed limits and legislation that takes human error into account, ensuring that the impact of accidents remains within manageable levels. The declaration also calls on governments to take a leading role and urges the private sector to prioritize road safety across all supply chains, while acknowledging the important role of civil society organizations, academia, youth, charities, and the United Nations in driving progress.

Safer roads… a safer future.
With nearly 60 percent of the world’s population now living in urban areas, the growing demand for mobility threatens to overwhelm transport systems originally designed for private vehicles.

With the proliferation of ride-hailing and delivery apps, the number of motorcycles more than tripled between 2011 and 2025, and their riders accounted for nearly a third of all road traffic deaths worldwide. The World Health Organization states that wearing a safety helmet reduces the risk of death in a crash by more than six times.

New modes of transport, such as bicycles, electric scooters, and autonomous vehicles, also present new challenges and opportunities for transport planners and policymakers. The organization is working to close gaps in laws and regulations, promote uniform safety standards, and bring together experts to develop solutions that ensure the safety of vehicles and new technologies.

"More than half of the world's road traffic victims are not in cars, but pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists," said Dr. Etienne Krug, Director of the Department of Health Determinants, Health Promotion, and Disease Prevention at the World Health Organization. "When roads are designed as if they were only for car drivers, they are at greater risk."

He added, "We know what works: strong legislation and effective enforcement, safe infrastructure and vehicles, with a focus on reducing speed and tackling driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This declaration means we all need to move faster and with greater ambition."

Progress remains uneven.
Globally, ten countries succeeded in reducing road traffic deaths by 50 percent during the decade ending in 2021, while more than half of the world's countries saw a decrease in fatalities during the same period.

But progress remains uneven across regions. Deaths decreased by 36 percent in the WHO European Region, 15 percent in the Western Pacific Region, and 2 percent in the South-East Asia Region, while remaining largely unchanged in the Americas Region. In contrast, deaths increased by 17 percent in the African Region.

The new UN declaration affirms that improving road safety is a cornerstone of enhancing public health and achieving sustainable development. Encouraging more people to walk, cycle, and use public transport also helps reduce congestion, improve air quality, make cities more livable, and support healthier and longer lives.