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By: Samuel Asamoah
Global road traffic deaths have declined by 21 percent over the past 14 years despite a dramatic increase in the number of vehicles on the world’s roads, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced, while warning that stronger action is needed to achieve the global target of halving road deaths and serious injuries by 2030.
The WHO said road traffic fatalities fell between 2011 and 2025 even as more than one billion additional motor vehicles were added worldwide. However, road crashes still claimed an estimated 1.16 million lives in 2025, with road traffic injuries remaining the leading cause of death among children and young people aged between five and 29 years.
The figures were released as United Nations Member States adopted a new UN General Assembly political declaration on road safety aimed at accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly the target of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50 percent by 2030 compared with 2021 levels.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the decline in fatalities as evidence that sustained investments in safer road systems can save lives.
He said countries had demonstrated that progress was possible despite rapid urbanisation, rising vehicle ownership and changing transport patterns, adding that every road death is preventable and unacceptable.
Under the new declaration, governments committed to implementing national road safety strategies backed by clear targets, budgets and timelines. The agreement also calls for stronger road safety institutions, improved crash data systems, stricter traffic legislation, and safer roads, vehicles and infrastructure.
Central to the declaration is the adoption of the “Safe System” approach, which recognises that human error is inevitable and seeks to minimise fatalities through safer road design, lower speed limits, stronger vehicle standards and improved enforcement. Governments are also urged to strengthen leadership on road safety while the private sector is encouraged to integrate safety measures across supply chains.
The WHO expressed concern over the growing number of vulnerable road users. It noted that with nearly 60 percent of the global population now living in urban areas, transport systems built around private vehicles are struggling to cope with increasing mobility demands. The rapid expansion of ride-hailing and delivery services has also contributed to a more than threefold increase in motorcycle use since 2011, with motorcyclists now accounting for nearly one-third of global road fatalities.
According to the organisation, wearing certified motorcycle helmets can reduce the risk of death in a crash by more than six times. It also said emerging transport technologies, including e-scooters, e-bikes and autonomous vehicles, require updated safety regulations to protect all road users.
WHO’s Director of the Department of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention, Dr. Etienne Krug, stressed that pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists continue to bear the greatest burden of road fatalities because many roads remain designed primarily for cars.
He called for stronger enforcement of traffic laws, safer infrastructure, reduced speeding and measures to curb impaired driving, saying governments must move “further and faster” to implement the commitments in the declaration.
While progress has been recorded globally, WHO noted significant regional disparities. The European Region recorded a 36 percent reduction in road deaths, followed by a 15 percent decline in the Western Pacific Region and a two percent drop in Southeast Asia. Fatality rates remained unchanged in the Americas, while the African Region experienced a 17 percent increase in road traffic deaths.
The UN declaration concludes that improving road safety is essential for public health and sustainable development, arguing that greater use of walking, cycling and public transport can reduce congestion, improve air quality, create more liveable cities and contribute to healthier lives.
