Sign in Subscribe
United Nations

UN Road Safety Envoy Launches Global Campaign to Halve Road Fatalities by 2030

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Jean Todt, the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety, has launched the global #MakeASafetyStatement campaign to promote road safety and create secure, inclusive, and sustainable streets worldwide. During a six-day visit to Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Colombia, and Brazil, Todt will meet with key government officials, representatives of the international community, private and public sector leaders, and civil society representatives to advocate for enhanced measures to reduce road fatalities.

Road traffic crashes claimed over 145,000 lives across the Americas in 2021, representing 12% of global road fatalities that year. Road crashes remain the leading cause of death for children and young people aged 5 to 29 years old globally, imposing a significant social and economic burden. According to the World Bank, the cost of road crashes represents between 3% and 6% of GDP in the region.

Key Takeaways:

  • The #MakeASafetyStatement campaign aims to promote road safety and create secure, inclusive, and sustainable streets worldwide, with the goal of halving road fatalities by 2030.
  • Road traffic crashes claimed over 145,000 lives across the Americas in 2021, representing 12% of global road fatalities that year.
  • Road crashes remain the leading cause of death for children and young people aged 5 to 29 years old globally, imposing a significant social and economic burden.
  • The cost of road crashes represents between 3% and 6% of GDP in the region, according to the World Bank.
  • Mexico has made progress in addressing road safety through institutional strengthening and the improvement of monitoring systems, but still lags behind in enforcing mandatory helmet use.
  • Guatemala has implemented projects such as Safe School Zones to protect children around schools, but still lacks proper enforcement and has fragmented legislation on pedestrian and child restraint systems.
  • Panama has achieved a 45% reduction in road fatalities between 2016 and 2021, but still has high levels of people with serious injuries after a crash.
  • Colombia has implemented urban safety plans and adopted the Safe System approach, but still faces enforcement gaps, particularly in speed and seatbelt compliance.
  • Brazil has a mortality rate of 15.7 per 100,000 inhabitants, with pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists composing around 61% of all crash fatalities.
  • The adoption of the National Road Safety Plan (2019-2028) marks a strong direction in Brazil, but enforcement gaps remain, particularly in speed and seatbelt compliance.

Statistics:

  • Road traffic crashes claimed over 145,000 lives across the Americas in 2021, representing 12% of global road fatalities that year.
  • The cost of road crashes represents between 3% and 6% of GDP in the region, according to the World Bank.
  • Mexico has a fatality rate of 12.4 per 100,000 inhabitants, below the average for the Americas.
  • Guatemala has a death rate of 12.6 per 100,000 population, as per WHO estimates.
  • Panama has achieved a 45% reduction in road fatalities between 2016 and 2021.
  • Colombia has a death rate of 16 per 100,000 population, with an economic toll estimated at some 3% of GDP.
  • Brazil has a mortality rate of 15.7 per 100,000 inhabitants, with pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists composing around 61% of all crash fatalities.

Sources:

  • United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
  • The United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt
  • Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
  • World Bank
  • World Health Organization (WHO)
  • Bloomberg Philanthropies
  • JCDecaux
  • UN Road Safety Fund (UN RSF)
  • ANSV (Agencia Nacional de Seguridad Vial)
  • International Olympic Committee

Read more