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Approximately 1.3 million people die each year on the world's roads

1,652 views · Published 3 March 2010 · 1:55 · Indexed 3 October 2026

Channel: United Nations · 2010 · News & Politics

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United Nations, New York, 3 March 2010 - The United Nations General Assembly adopted a new resolution on road safety today (2 March) aiming to halt or reverse the increasing trend in road traffic deaths and injuries around the world. 
Sponsored by the Government of the Russian Federation and building on the Moscow Declaration; the resolution calls on Member States to declare 20112020 the Decade of Action for Road Safety.

Malaysian actor and Make Roads Safe Global Ambassador, Michelle Yeoh, addressed the General Assembly and said that last November in Moscow, it had been thrilling to see so many leaders from every corner of the world committing to make road safety a priority, leading to the latest and the greatest stage of that journey when the United Nations commits to a Decade of Action for Road Safety.

The resolution underlines the importance of Member States to continue using the 2004 World report on road traffic injury prevention as a framework for their road safety efforts, calling for action on five main risk factors: the non-use of seat-belts and child restraints; drinking and driving; the non-use of helmets; excessive speed; and the lack of appropriate road infrastructure. 

It also calls upon countries to pay particular attention to the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, those groups considered most vulnerable on the roads. 

Earlier in the day, Etienne Krug, from the World Health Organization (WHO), told journalists that the declaration of a Decade of Action for Road Safety had been long overdue.  He pointed out that 1.3 million people die every year around the world from road traffic accidents, half of them vulnerable road users who very often are not even able to afford a car but are the victims of those car crashes.

A Plan of Action for the Decade calls upon Member States to increase action to address the causes of road traffic crashes; set ambitious targets for the reduction of road traffic fatalities by 2020; increase resources for road safety; and other measures.

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