Road safety insights for future generations
At a glance
More than 1.3 million people die each year on the world’s roads, and another 20 to 50 million are seriously injured. Despite continued and increasing efforts in the past decade, road trauma rates have increased globally. In response to this, we undertook a series of primary and secondary research to develop our understanding of current challenges and limitations faced by road agencies across the globe to improve road safety.
Our research, which included policy reviews, transport professional surveys, case studies and in-depth interviews with senior transport agencies stakeholders and municipal governments, highlights three areas that can deliver the greatest improvement to road safety.
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Report key findings
Across the world, the Vision Zero philosophy (that we should not just accept that people will die on our roads), and the Safe System approach to delivering road safety, have been adopted by almost all road agencies and local governments. This approach focusses on roads, vehicles, crash response and speed; not just driver behaviour.
In many places around the world, there are targets to halve the number of people killed on our roads by 2030, but we’re not on the right trajectory to achieve this.
With safety for all road users at the heart of our thinking, transportation policies, planning and design can help create equitable, accessible and sustainable mobility solutions for all. As stewards of the communities in which we live, work and play, we all have a responsibility to leave a safer road legacy for future generations.
Based on our research findings our report identified three areas that can deliver significant improvement to road safety:
- Speed management.
- Funding access and allocation.
- Political leadership and community support.
To make well-informed and timely decisions, data and technology are critical for enhancing road safety efforts across these three areas.
This report is relevant to policymakers, budget planners, and other stakeholders within transport authorities and local government. Understanding these insights will help inform broader decision-making processes and ensure that road safety objectives align with overall transportation and community aspirations.
It is our hope that the insights and case studies shared in this report can help support and empower agencies in making critical decisions about improving road safety and ultimately saving lives.
Behind every road safety statistic, there is a life altered, a family shattered, a community grieving. While the most severe outcomes are devastating, it's equally important to acknowledge the widespread impact of traffic-related injuries. Vigilant focus and commitment to improving road safety is not a lofty aspiration but an imperative, for everyone.