Road Safety

SDG 3 — Good health and well-being

More than 3,200 people are killed on roads every single day — over two deaths every minute. According to WHO, road traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children and young people aged 5 to 29, surpassing disease and conflict. Most of these deaths are preventable. And yet, despite decades of awareness, the global toll remains in the millions every year.

The scale

1.19 million

people killed on roads annually, with over 50 million suffering non-fatal injuries (WHO 2023)

9 in 10

road traffic deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, despite them having only 60% of the world's vehicles (WHO 2023)

$3.6 trillion

the estimated annual cost of road crash fatalities and injuries to the global economy (CDC)

What makes it hard

Road safety is not one problem — it is the product of many interacting systems: how roads are designed, how vehicles are built, how laws are enforced, and how people behave. In low- and middle-income countries, the challenges are compounded by poor infrastructure, older vehicles without basic safety features, and weak enforcement of traffic laws. In wealthier countries, roads are safer on average, but new risks are emerging: distracted driving due to smartphones, the complex integration of autonomous vehicles into existing traffic, and the vulnerability of cyclists and pedestrians as cities densify. Technology offers genuine promise — advanced driver-assistance systems, better vehicle safety standards, smarter road design — but adoption is slow and deeply unequal across regions. And when a crash does occur, the quality of emergency response and the availability of rehabilitation services determine whether a survivor recovers fully or lives with permanent disability.

Choose your focus

Road safety is shaped by many interacting factors. Pick the one your team wants to dig into, then take it to your worksheet.

Vulnerable road users

Pedestrians and cyclists account for nearly a third of all road deaths globally, yet most road systems are still designed around cars

Road infrastructure

In many low-income countries, less than half of roads are paved and safety features are minimal; redesigning roads saves lives faster than almost any other intervention

Driver behavior

Speeding, impaired driving, and distraction cause the majority of crashes, yet changing behavior at scale remains one of the hardest challenges in public health

Emergency response and recovery

How quickly help arrives, how well trauma care is delivered, and whether rehabilitation is accessible determines outcomes as much as the crash itself

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