WHO WARNS ROAD CRASHES STILL KILL 1.16 MILLION PEOPLE EVERY YEAR DESPITE 21% DECLINE IN GLOBAL FATALITIES
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that road crashes continue to claim 1.16 million lives every year, despite a 21% decline in global road traffic deaths between 2011 and 2025, urging governments to accelerate efforts to make roads safer for all users.
The warning came as WHO released its latest global road safety data alongside a new United Nations declaration committing member states to halve road deaths and serious injuries by 2030, compared with 2021 levels.
According to the report, road traffic injuries remain the leading cause of death among children and young people aged five to 29, even as countries recorded progress in reducing fatalities despite a sharp rise in the number of vehicles on the world’s roads.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the decline demonstrates that investments in safer road systems save lives but stressed that much more needs to be done.
“This progress shows that change is possible when countries invest in safe road systems,” he said, urging governments to design roads with people, rather than vehicles, as the priority.
WHO also highlighted that more than half of all road deaths involve people who are not inside cars. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists account for the majority of victims, reflecting the growing risks faced by vulnerable road users.
“More than half of all road deaths are people who aren’t even in a car – they are walking, cycling or riding a motorcycle,” said Dr Etienne Krug, Director of WHO’s Department of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention. “When roads are designed as if only car drivers matter, these people are left dangerously exposed.”
The agency said the rapid growth of motorcycles, driven partly by ride-hailing and delivery services, has contributed to changing traffic patterns worldwide. Motorcyclists now account for nearly one-third of all road fatalities, while wearing a certified helmet can reduce the risk of death in a crash by more than six times.
The new UN declaration calls on countries to strengthen traffic laws, enforce speed limits, improve road infrastructure, enhance vehicle safety standards and adopt the “Safe System” approach, which accepts that human error is inevitable and focuses on reducing the likelihood of fatal crashes.
Although more than half of countries have reported falling road deaths and several have achieved reductions of at least 50%, progress remains uneven. While Europe recorded a 36% drop in fatalities, the WHO African Region experienced a 17% increase in road deaths over the same period.
