GLOBAL STATUS REPORT ON ROAD SAFETY

WHY IN NEWS?

 World Health Organization (WHO) has released a report titled-The Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023

 HIGHLIGHTS

Road Traffic Fatalities:

• Road traffic deaths worldwide decreased by 5% between 2010 and 2021,totaling 1.19 million fatalities annually.
• 108 UN member nations reported a drop in road traffic deaths during this period.
• India witnessed a 15% increase in fatalities,rising from34 lakh in 2010 to 1.54 lakh in 2021.

Countries with Significant Reductions:

• Ten countries succeeded in reducing road traffic deaths by over 50%:Belarus, Brunei Darussalam, Denmark, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, Russian Federation, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.
• Thirty-five more countries made notable progress, reducing deaths by 30% to 50%.

Regional Distribution of Deaths:

• 28% of global road traffic deaths occurred in the WHO South-East Asia Region, 25%in the Western Pacific Region, 19% in the African Region, 12% in the Region of the Americas, 11% in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, and 5% in the European Region.
• Low- and middle-income countries bear a disproportionate burden,with 90% of deaths occurring in these nations despite having only 1% of the world’s motor vehicles.