Road Traffic Deaths Preventable with Stronger Policies, Enforcement, Secretary-General Says in World Day of Remembrance Message

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Road Traffic Deaths Preventable with Stronger Policies, Enforcement, Secretary-General Says in World Day of Remembrance Message

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres' message for World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, observed on 15 November:

Road crashes are a global health and safety crisis hiding in plain sight.

Last year, another 1.16 million people were killed on the world's roads, while millions more suffered debilitating injuries. Road crashes remain the leading cause of death for children and young people aged 5 to 29, with over 90 per cent of fatalities occurring in low- and middle-income countries.

But these tragedies are preventable. By improving infrastructure, changing behaviours, strengthening support for victims and harnessing new technologies, we can reduce suffering and save lives.

The Decade of Action for Road Safety sets a clear target: to halve road deaths and injuries by 2030. Thanks to concerted efforts across the globe, the road traffic death rate has fallen by 21 per cent, but stronger policies and better enforcement are still needed. The United Nations supports countries in pursuing this goal through its Road Safety Conventions, the UN Road Safety Fund and the Special Envoy for Road Safety.

On this World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, let us take action to honour those we have lost and recommit to making safe mobility a reality for all.