WHO – ThePrint – PTIFeed

New Delhi, Sept 2 (PTI) – Pedestrians, motorised two-wheelers and cyclists account for 66 per cent of road deaths in Southeast Asia, while in India most road deaths are among two- and three-wheeler riders, according to the latest WHO report.

The “WHO Regional Status Report on Road Safety in South-East Asia” was released during “Safety 2024”, the 15th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, in 2024.

Occupants of four-wheeled vehicles account for 25 percent of deaths and pedestrians for 21 percent. Cyclists account for 5 percent of deaths. The remaining 20 percent are occupants of large vehicles, heavy commercial vehicles and other or unknown user types.

“In the WHO South-East Asia Region, the proportion of reported road traffic fatalities is 46 percent for users of motorized two- and three-wheelers, 12 percent for occupants of four-wheelers, 17 percent for pedestrians, 3 percent for cyclists and 22 percent for others. In all these countries, vulnerable road users (pedestrians, users of motorized two-wheelers and cyclists) account for 66 percent of all reported road traffic fatalities,” the report said.

“Drivers of two and three-wheelers make up the highest share of all road user categories in India (45.1 percent), the Maldives (100 percent), Myanmar (47 percent) and Thailand (51.4 percent),” it added.

The WHO found that no country in South Asia had achieved the target of reducing road deaths by 50 percent.

However, a significant decline in the number of road deaths estimated by the WHO occurred in the Maldives and Thailand, where the number of road deaths fell by 46.2 percent and 41.7 percent respectively.

On the contrary, the number of road deaths in the region increased by 15 percent between 2010 and 2021. At the country level, no member state in the Southeast Asia Region with a population of more than 10 million reported a decrease in the number of road deaths during this period.

“It is worth noting, however, that the reported number of road deaths in Thailand decreased by 22.9 percent between 2016 and 2021. The estimated number of road deaths in Bangladesh, India and Nepal also increased by 23 percent, 2 percent and 25 percent respectively between 2010 and 2021,” the report said.

Etienne Krug, Director of the WHO Division of Social Determinants of Health, described road traffic accidents as one of the greatest crises of the 21st century.

“…a large proportion of people who die in road accidents are people who cannot afford a car. It is urgent that we take action. The report shows that the crisis is huge, but we must understand and act decisively that prevention is possible and must be strictly enforced,” he said.

The three-day conference is hosted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, the George Institute for Global Health in collaboration with the All India Institute for Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) and the WHO as co-organizer.

“To reduce inequalities, we must recognize that injuries disproportionately affect vulnerable communities – because we are far from addressing real problems with real solutions. Lived experience shows how policies shape differential burdens, risks and outcomes, underscoring the urgent need for change,” said Jagnoor Jagnoor, Head of the Injury Unit at the George Institute for Global Health.

During the conference, international experts will unite in the common goal of “building a safer future for all: equitable and sustainable strategies to prevent injuries and violence”.

The conference will focus on five main themes: improving coordination and collaboration among stakeholders, strengthening research and practice capacities, integrating injury prevention into global health agendas such as sustainability and equity, empowering communities, and promoting informed policy-making. PTI GJS SZM

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