• Global Status Report on Road Safety 2023 was recently released by World Health Organization (WHO).

MAJOR FINDINGS

• Road traffic deaths fell by 5% to 1.19 million fatalities annually worldwide between 2010 and 2021, with 108 UN member nations reporting a drop.
  • India, however, registered a 15% increase in fatalities.
  • In India, the total number of road traffic fatalities went up from 1.34 lakh in 2010 to 1.54 lakh in 2021.
• Ten countries succeeded in reducing road traffic deaths by over 50% — Belarus, Brunei Darussalam, Denmark, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, Russian Federation, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.
• By region

2021–2030 has been declared UN Decade of Action for Road Safety.

• 28% of global road traffic deaths occurred in the WHO’s 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.

• Road fatality rate has declined from 18 per 1 lakh people in 2010 to 15 per 1 lakh in 2021.
• Annual fatality rates per 1 lakh vehicles fell from 79 deaths to 47 deaths, which is a 41% reduction.
• Vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists, account for over 50% of global fatalities, with occupants of 4-wheel vehicles contributing to one-third.