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Road traffic injuries remain leading cause of death among children and young adults

On Behalf of | Apr 26, 2019 | Uncategorized |

Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for people ages 5 to 29, according to the World Health Organization. This scary statistic involves victims who are driving or passengers in vehicles, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians. In fact, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians make up over 50% of all traffic-related fatalities around the globe.

Safety groups hope to improve safety initiatives

Why have road traffic deaths increased? A few reasons may be to blame, including more registered vehicles and lack of improved safety regulations. One group, Bloomberg Philanthropies, continues to invest in solutions to improve road safety and reduce fatal accidents.

The group, along with safety advocates, are now focusing on the following categories to try to reduce traffic fatalities throughout the globe:

  • Driver and passenger behaviors: The goal is to reduce or prevent dangerous behaviors by drivers and passengers that contribute to accidents. These risky behaviors include drunk driving, distracted driving, speeding and not wearing a seat belt.
  • Improve infrastructure: The goal is to improve the safety of roads and sidewalks. This means changing the way roads, sidewalks and other structures are designed to make driving easier, such as making roads and sidewalks wider and creating safer crosswalks.
  • Increase use of mass transit: The goal is to improve the use of mass transit when possible, typically in urban areas to reduce the number of vehicles on the road.
  • Improve safety of vehicles: The goal is to improve safety standards for new and used vehicles to prevent defective vehicles from getting and staying on the road.
  • Strengthen safety policies and regulations: The goal is to improve safety regulations and standards and help officials enforce these standards to keep everyone safe. Safety standards to improve may include helmet use, seat belt use for all occupants and clear signs at intersections.

Road traffic fatalities are a serious issue in the United States and throughout the world. Safety groups will continue to try to make improvements to make the road safer. Motorists and everyone on the road need to also do their part to keep everyone safe.