Citation

Loo BP, Tsoi KH. J. Glob. Health 2022; 12: e03081.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Edinburgh University Global Health Society)

DOI

10.7189/jogh.12.03081

PMID

36463506

Abstract

While transport is integral to mobility and the economy, the hidden social costs of rapid motorisation are tremendous. As of 2019, there were around 1.3 million traffic fatalities, accounting for 2.3% of the total deaths and ranked 12th of the causes of mortality worldwide [1]. Road injuries also led to 79 million disability-adjusted life year (DALYs) in 2019, accounting for 3.1% of the global DALYs and ranked the 6th among other causes [1]. On average, road traffic deaths and injuries led to a 3% loss in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) [2]. Half of the global road traffic deaths are amongst the most vulnerable groups of pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists [2]. Traffic fatality is the leading cause of death for young people aged 5-29 [2]. All these underline the equity dimension as these groups are bearing the costs of traffic deaths disproportionately. The serious negative transport externalities can dampen the goal of achieving social sustainability in transport [3]. Providing safe mobility for all aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals of "Sustainable Cities and Communities" and "Good Health" that "provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems" [4].

Despite a decline in global traffic fatality rates (per 100 000 population) in the past two decades from 19.1 to 16.7, road safety remains a prominent public health issue. First, there has been a general increase in the absolute number of global road traffic deaths since the 1990s, except during 2012 and 2015 [5]. Since then, it has rebounded and reached around 1.3 million [5]. It is expected that road traffic fatalities will rank among the top five causes of mortality by 2030 [6]. Second, there are still significant variations in traffic deaths rate (per capita). In 2019, the African average was around 1.6 times higher than the global average and 3.7 times higher than the European counterpart [5]. Also, traffic fatalities in low-income nations have been rising since 2013 and reached a record high of 28.34 per 100 000 population - a level 3 times higher than the high-income nations [5]. Third, the trend was far from the United Nations' (first) Decade of Road Safety target of reducing road fatalities by 50%. With increased motorisation, the challenge of fatality reduction is huge. With the second Decade of Road Safety (2021-2030), one needs to go beyond modelling fatality records and measures, but to examine and advocate road safety strategies worldwide for effective policy formulation and implementation to "defatalise" transportation...

Language: en