Global status report on road safety

16 June 2009

Approximately 1.3 million people die each year on the world's roads, and between 20 and 50 million are injured.

The Global Status Report on Road Safety published today by the WHOis the first broad assessment of the road safety situation in 178 countries, using data drawn from a standardized survey. The results show that road traffic injuries remain an important public health problem, particularly for low-income and middle-income countries.

Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists make up almost half of those killed on the roads, highlighting the need for these road users to be given more attention in road safety programmes. The results suggest that in many countries road safety laws need to be made more comprehensive while enforcement should be strengthened. The Report clearly shows that significantly more action is needed to make the world's roads safer.