GLOBAL STATUS REPORT ON ROAD SAFETY 2013

SUPPORTING A DECADE OF ACTION

MONITORING A DECADE
UN GA resolution 54/255 in 2010 called for a Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011 2020). Status reports to be used as a monitoring tool for the Decade.

GLOBAL STATUS REPORT ON ROAD SAFETY 2013

Made possible through funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Country-based, multisectoral, consensus process used to gather information.

PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES

MAIN MESSAGES
88 countries have reduced their road traffic deaths, but the global total at 1.24 million remains unacceptably high. Only 28 countries have comprehensive laws that cover 5 major risk factors. Half of all road traffic deaths are among pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

SOME COUNTRIES ARE MAKING PROGRESS, BUT THE ROAD TRAFFIC DEATH RATE REMAINS UNACCEPTABLY HIGH AT 1.24 MILLION PER YEAR

MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES ARE HARDEST HIT

AFRICA HAS HIGHEST ROAD TRAFFIC DEATH RATES PER 100 000 POPULATION

35 COUNTRIES PASSED NEW LAWS BUT ONLY 7% OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION IS COVERED FOR ALL 5 RISK FACTORS

ONLY 59 COUNTRIES HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE URBAN SPEED LAW

Comprehensive urban speed law = 50km/h and local authorities allowed to reduce limits

89 COUNTRIES HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE DRINKDRIVING LAW

Comprehensive drinkdriving law = Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.05 g/dl.

90 COUNTRIES HAVE COMPREHENSIVE MOTORCYCLE HELMET LAWS

Comprehensive motorcycle helmet law = All riders, all roads, all engine types + helmet standard.

111 COUNTRIES HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE SEAT-BELT LAWS

Comprehensive seat-belt law = Applies to all vehicle occupants.

HALF OF ALL COUNTRIES HAVE A CHILD RESTRAINT LAW BUT ENFORCEMENT IS POOR

FEW COUNTRIES RATE THE ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS AS "GOOD"

Country who rate their enforcement as "good"
Child restraint law

Seat-belt law

Motorcycle helmet law

Drinkdriving law

Urban speed law

10

20

30 40 Number of countries

50

60

"Good" enforcement defined as 8 or more on a scale of 0 to 10.

HALF OF ALL DEATHS ARE AMONG VULNERABLE ROAD USERS

ONLY 35% OF COUNTRIES HAVE POLICIES WHICH PROMOTE WALKING AND CYCLING

VEHICLE STANDARDS SHOULD BE ADOPTED IN ALL COUNTRIES

52 countries were part of UN Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations in 2010. Only 30 countries take part in an New Car Assessment Programmes. Few vehicles are designed with the vulnerable road user in mind.

FOR EVERY PERSON WHO DIES, 20 ARE INJURED

For every 1 person who dies in a road traffic crash, 20 are injured. 1 in 20 of those injured are left with a disability. Only 111 countries have a universal national access emergency number. Only 59 countries have an ambulance service able to transfer over 75% of injured patients. Less than 2/3 of doctors and <50% nurses are trained in emergency care in LMICs.

DATA SYSTEMS IN MOST COUNTRIES REMAIN POOR

Most countries (71%) rely on Police data systems only, few (17%) combine databases. 50% of countries use a 30-day definition. Only 104 countries reported robust data (in terms of coverage and completeness). For 78 countries comparative estimates had to be generated using a statistical model.

RECOMMENDATIONS
The pace of legislative change is too slow: increase adoption of comprehensive laws. Enforcement of strong road safety laws is essential for success and should be coupled with public awareness. Reducing road traffic deaths requires more consideration of the needs of pedestrians, cyclists & motorcyclists. Also need to make infrastructure safer, implement crash testing standards, as well as improve post-crash care and road safety databases.