Preventing road injuries saves countless lives: Road Safety Series in the Lancet

Preventing road injuries saves countless lives: Road Safety Series in the Lancet

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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%.

Thestudy data includefirst-ever nation-specific estimates (for 185countries) of the positive effects of addressingroad safety. These estimatescanbe used as a starting point for public officials to change policies and shapepriorities, the authors stated.