Road crashes a global health and safety crisis: UN Chief

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the road crashes are a global health and safety crisis hiding in plain sight.

The UN chief said these in his message on the 'World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims' scheduled for November 15.

In his message the UN Secretary General said, last year, another 1.16 million people were killed on the world’s roads, while millions more suffered debilitating injuries. Road crashes remain the leading cause of death for children and young people aged 5 to 29, with over 90 per cent of fatalities occurring in low- and middle-income countries.

But these tragedies are preventable. By improving infrastructure, changing behaviours, strengthening support for victims and harnessing new technologies, we can reduce suffering and save lives, the secretary general said.

“The Decade of Action for Road Safety sets a clear target: to halve road deaths and injuries by 2030. Thanks to concerted efforts across the globe, the road traffic death rate has fallen by 21 per cent, but stronger policies and better enforcement are still needed,” the UN chief said.

He said, the United Nations supports countries in pursuing this goal through its Road Safety Conventions, the UN Road Safety Fund and the Special Envoy for Road Safety.

Antonio Guterres said, on this World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, let us take actions to honour those we have lost and recommit to making safe mobility a reality for all.