World Health Organization Global Status Report on Road Safety

World Health Organization Global Status Report on Road Safety
Title	World Health Organization Global Status Report on Road Safety
Publisher	World Health Organization
First	2009
Latest	2018
Subject	Road traffic injuries, public health, transport policy

Contents

World Health Organization Global Status Report on Road Safety The Global Status Report on Road Safety is a periodic assessment published by the World Health Organization that synthesizes international data on traffic fatalities, injuries, and policy responses, informing stakeholders such as the United Nations, World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, World Health Assembly, and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Drawing on national submissions and partner datasets from institutions including the International Transport Forum, World Meteorological Organization, World Economic Forum, International Road Federation, and World Bank Group, the report has shaped dialogue among actors such as the GAVI Alliance, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, International Labour Organization, United Nations Children's Fund, and regional bodies like the African Union and European Commission.

Background and Purpose

The report originated after the World Health Assembly and United Nations General Assembly recognized rising casualties in the context of the Millennium Development Goals and later the Sustainable Development Goals, prompting the World Health Organization to compile standardized indicators used by stakeholders including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Asian Development Bank, and Inter-American Development Bank. Its purpose is to provide evidence for policy instruments like the Decade of Action for Road Safety and targets endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly Resolution on road safety, offering a common reference alongside monitoring frameworks used by the Global Health Observatory and the International Organization for Standardization.

Methodologically, the report integrates administrative records from national ministries such as the Ministry of Transport (United Kingdom), Ministry of Health (Brazil), Ministry of Interior (France), and their counterparts, supplemented by modelled estimates from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, surveys conducted by the Demographic and Health Surveys Program, and datasets from the International Transport Forum and European Transport Safety Council. It uses internationally recognized definitions promoted by the World Health Organization and aligns with statistical practices of the United Nations Statistical Commission, drawing on inputs from organizations such as the Global Road Safety Facility, World Resources Institute, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and national statistical offices like the Office for National Statistics (United Kingdom).

Key findings typically document annual road traffic deaths and injury trends, distribution by road user type (motorcyclists, pedestrians, cyclists, occupants), and risk factors such as speed management, helmet use, and seat-belt compliance, referencing comparative analyses used by the International Road Transport Union, European Commission Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, and United Nations Environment Programme. Trends noted include rising absolute casualties in some low- and middle-income countries referenced alongside case studies from India, China, Nigeria, Brazil, and South Africa, and declining rates in high-income settings exemplified by Sweden, United Kingdom, and Japan, where safety systems inspired by the Vision Zero initiative and policies from the European Union have been influential.

The report provides country and regional profiles covering WHO regions such as the African Region (WHO), Region of the Americas, South-East Asia Region (WHO), European Region (WHO), Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO), and Western Pacific Region (WHO), and offers comparisons among nations including United States, Germany, France, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. These profiles inform interventions coordinated with regional entities like the African Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, European Commission, Union for the Mediterranean, and bilateral donors such as the United Kingdom Department for International Development and United States Agency for International Development.

Recommendations synthesize evidence-based measures supported by partners including the European Transport Safety Council, International Transport Forum, Global Road Safety Partnership, and the World Bank: speed limit enforcement, helmet laws, seat-belt legislation, drink-driving countermeasures, safer vehicle standards promoted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and International Organization for Standardization, infrastructure interventions inspired by projects in Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden, and post-crash care improvements aligned with standards from the World Health Assembly and International Committee of the Red Cross. The report guides investment priorities for institutions such as the Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and philanthropic actors like the Bloomberg Philanthropies road safety initiatives.

The report has influenced international resolutions at the United Nations General Assembly and operational programs within the World Health Organization, catalyzed funding mechanisms through the Global Fund model discussions, and informed national strategies in countries from Rwanda to Spain, aligning with global initiatives such as the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011–2020 and the post‑2020 targets embedded in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Its data underpin academic research in institutions like Harvard University, University of Cambridge, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and policy work at think tanks including the Brookings Institution and RAND Corporation, shaping legislation, standards, and multilateral cooperation involving the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, World Bank Group, and regional development banks.

Category:Road safety Category:World Health Organization publications