Global plan for the decade of action for road safety: Opportunities and challenges for developing countries

Abstract

Globally, nearly 1.3 million people die every year as a result of road traffic crashes (RTCs). Additionally, 20 to 50 million more people sustain RTCs-related non fatal injuries, which are an important cause of disability worldwide. Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are among the three leading causes of death for people between 5 and 44 years of age. Unless immediate and effective action is taken, RTIs are predicted to become the fifth leading cause of death in the world by 2020, resulting in an estimated 2.4 million deaths each year. For young adults and economically productive age-group (15 to 44 years), RTIs account for the 59% of global road traffic associated deaths. The economic costs of RTCs have been estimated between 1% to 3% of the respective GNP of the world countries, reaching a total over $500 billion.1,