A toolkit for saving lives.

Unless dramatic action is taken, it is projected that by 2030 road traffic injuries will become the fifth leading cause of death globally. Each day, around 3500 people are killed on the world’s roads, with many of those being children. In Vietnam, for example, children aged 0-9 years are most likely to be killed as pedestrians, while those aged 10-14 are most likely to die while riding a bicycle. Adolescents aged 15-19 are most likely to be killed while riding a motorcycle [1].
Thankfully, global momentum for safety is building. This year marks the beginning of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety, setting an ambitious target of halving the growth in deaths by 2020. To achieve that, though, there will need to be major ramping-up efforts. It won’t be easy. One of the major stumbling blocks is simply finding the resources and expertise to make it happen – a particular concern for low- and middle-income countries where 9 out of 10 of the world’s road deaths occur.