“By the time you have read this page, at least five people will have died in road traffic crashes.” This is the sobering introduction to the World Health Organization‘s Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023, which was released yesterday.

The report shows that the number of annual road traffic deaths has fallen slightly to 1.19 million, that efforts to improve road safety are having an impact, and that significant reductions in road traffic deaths can be made if proven measures are applied.

Despite this, the price paid for mobility remains too high. Road traffic injuries remain the leading killer of children and young people aged 5-29 years. More than half of fatalities occur among pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, in particular those living in low and middle-income countries.

Urgent action is needed if the global goal of at least halving road traffic deaths and injuries by the year 2030 is to be achieved.

Download the report here.

Updated on: 14 December 2023