Road accidents kill 1.35M people annually: WHO

CAIRO - 9 May 2019: The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Monday, May 6 kicking off the fifth Global Road Safety Week, saying that it reminds us of the importance of having strong leadership and advocates all over the world to "save lives".

The annual Week aims to raise awareness of the protection measures needed to keep people safe while driving, as it was reported that nearly 1.35 million people die annually as a result of road accidents.

"The Fifth UN Global Road Safety Week acknowledges that strong leadership is needed to advance road safety in countries and communities and achieve the related sustainable development goal and other global targets," WHO stated.

Thousands of advocates worldwide are taking the opportunity of the Week to speak up for road safety and call for urgent action on the concrete interventions which have proven to save lives. Such measures, featured in the WHO save-lives technical package, include improving road safety management; making roads, vehicles and road-users safe; and enhancing emergency care following a crash, according to WHO's statement.

Despite progress in many countries, road accidents' deaths continue to rise, with an annual 1.35 million fatalities. Road traffic injuries are now the leading killer of children and young people aged 5-29 years. "This is an unacceptable price to pay for mobility."

"Whether we travel as pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists or drivers, all of us - as parents, students, employees, volunteers and concerned citizens – can be leaders for road safety. When the right to a safe journey is a priority, everybody wins!" WHO's statement concluded.