Preventing road injuries saves countless lives
July / August 2022 | Volume 21 Number 4
Kendra Helmer/USAIDThe risk of road traffic deaths is nearly three times higher in low-income countries than high-income ones.
The global toll of road traffic injuries is immense, causing more than 50 million injuries and disabilities and ending 1.35 million lives each year, according to a
series of articles published in
The Lancet.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals did not achieve its target of halving the number of road traffic deaths by 2020, explained the authors led by Fogarty grantee Dr. Adnan Hyder of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. In fact, no low-income country and less than a quarter of middle-income countries have seen a decrease in the number of road deaths over the past decade.
Worse, 104 countries showed an increase in deaths during that period.
The authors estimate that proven interventions—such as reducing speed limits and drunk driving incidents, along with using helmets, seatbelts and child restraints—could prevent 25-40% of fatal road injuries. These measures would especially benefit low- and middle-income countries, where more than 90% of road traffic deaths occur. While prevention is the cornerstone for saving lives, improved post-crash care could also reduce mortality by 35%.
The study
data include first-ever
nation-specific estimates (for 185 countries) of the positive effects of addressing road safety. These estimates can be used as a starting point
for public officials to change policies and shape priorities, the authors
stated.
More Information
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Road Safety 2022
The Lancet, June 20, 2022 - Adnan Hyder's trauma-related Fogarty grants:
Updated August 12, 2022
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