Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023

Context- The World Health Organisation (WHO) released ‘Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023’.

About the Report

• This is the fifth  series to measure progress in reducing traffic deaths. 
• It captures the progress made between 2010 and 2021 and lays the foundation for efforts to achieve the UN Decade 2021-2030 goal of halving road deaths by 2030 (UN Sustainable Development Goal 3.6). 

Key findings of the report 

• • The number of people killed in  road accidents worldwide decreased by 5%, falling from 1.25 million to 1.19 million between 2011 and 2021. 
  • This means that around 1.19 million people die in road accidents every year. 
  • The report analyzed that the number of deaths decreased despite the doubling of the global vehicle fleet, the expansion of the road network and the growth of the world population. 

• Deaths: 

• • • Four wheeler (30%) 
    • Pedestrians (23%); 
    • Two- and three-wheelers, (21%); 
    • Cyclists (6%); 
    • Micro mobility including electric scooters (3%) 
    • Road accidents cost most countries 3 percent of their gross domestic product. 

• For a specific population group: 

• • Children and young people: Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for children and young people aged 5-29  and the 12th leading cause of death worldwide. 
  • Working age: Two-thirds of deaths occur among working-age people. 

Regional analysis of traffic accidents: 

• Low- and middle-income countries: These are the most at risk, with 92 percent of global deaths occurring in these countries. These countries have about 60 percent of the world’s vehicles.  
• The European region reported the biggest drop in deaths since 2010, by 36 percent, due to the “safe system approach”. 
• The Western Pacific and Southeast Asia region reported a 16 percent decline and a 2 percent decline. 
• According to the WHO, 10 countries – Belarus, Brunei, Denmark, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela – have successfully met the goal of reducing deaths by at least 50 percent. 
• However, 66 countries, including 28 in the African region, have seen an increase in deaths since 2010. 

Indian scenario: 

• India’s road safety record has worsened, with the number of deaths  increasing from 1.34 thousand in 2010 to 1.54 thousand in 2021. 
• India’s share of road deaths in the world increased from 11% to 13%. In 2015, India signed the Brazil Declaration at the Second High Level Global Conference on Road Safety. 

World Conference of Ministers on Road Safety: 

• First Conference (2009): The conference organized by the Russian Federation was a historic opportunity to make progress in the fight against the main cause of death and disability. 
• Second Conference (2015): Hosted by Brazil.  
  • It set out the urgent measures needed to meet the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’s ambitious target of halving road deaths by the end of this decade.  
  • Also known as the Brazil Declaration, it makes recommendations to strengthen existing legislation, adopt sustainable transport and improve post-disaster response. 
• The third conference (2020): “Achievement of Global Goals 2030” organized in Stockholm, Sweden, will take place on 19-20. February 2020 in Stockholm, Sweden. 
  • It is also called the “Stockholm Declaration”.
• The fourth conference (planned for 2025): it will take place in Marrakech, Morocco.  
  • The purpose of this conference is to assess the progress made in the implementation of the Global Plan 2021-2030 during its first five-year period and to build support for a new vision of safe and sustainable mobility. 

The solutions presented in the report 

• Effective measures include designing safer infrastructure and integrating road safety factors into land use and traffic planning, improving vehicle safety features, improving post-accident care for accident victims, drafting and enforcing  key risk laws, and raising public awareness. 
• Focus on better infrastructure: The report highlights the need for better infrastructure, noting that almost 80% of all roads assessed  do not meet the minimum three-star rating for pedestrian safety. 
• Prevention of traffic injuries: Governments must take measures to address road safety in a comprehensive manner. This requires the involvement of multiple sectors such as transport, police, health, education and initiatives related to road, vehicle and traffic safety.

Source: The Hindu

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