Over 1.2 million people die in road accidents and between 20 and 50 million people get injured every year around the globe.

This startling fact was revealed recently in the Global Status Report on Road Safety released by the World Health Organization. The survey was conducted in 2008 in 178 countries, covering 98% of the population.

Take a look at some more statistics

• Over 90% of accident deaths occur in low and middle income countries. These countries only have 48% of the world’s vehicles.
• 50% of people who die in road accidents are pedestrians, cyclists and motorbike users.
• The highest number of deaths are among young people.
• Very few countries have and enforce laws on speed, drunken driving, use of helmets, use of seatbelts, etc.
• The estimated cost of accidents to governments world wide is 518 billion dollars.
• In the U.S, 40,000 people die and 3 million get injured in road accidents every year.

What these statistics mean

The road accidents create an economic and workforce burden on the health care system. In many countries, the health care systems are already under-funded and understaffed.

They also mean that much needs to be done by governments to make and properly enforce laws and measures to improve road safety.

Roads need to be constructed in such a way that different types of road users, like cars, bikes, cycles and pedestrians are separated.

Various facets of road safety

According to WHO, there are four main areas which need to be worked on to improve road safety.

• Enforcement of road rules.
• Understanding crashes and risks.
• Admission of road users (car and driving licensing)
• Education and information

Working on these areas will help reduce speeds and make vehicles & roads safer. This will in turn reduce road accidents.

What you can do to improve road safety and prevent accidents

• Always follow all traffic rules.
• Take protective measures like using seat belts, wearing helmet etc.
• Keep in mind the safety of other road users also while driving.
• Drive at low speeds most of the time.
• Do not take risks on the road. Its not worth it.