There are now 1.35 million road fatalities worldwide each year, according to the World Health Organization. Victims are disproportionately young, in developing countries and vulnerable road users – pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. Despite some progress, countries are unlikely to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of halving road traffic deaths by 2020.

To address road death and injury as a major public health, economic and development problem, the United Nations has launched a Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020).

The EU is giving its support to this action, sharing lessons from achieving some of the safest roads in the world. According to the latest figures, 49 people in every million die on EU roads. At the same time, the fatality rate is about 275 deaths per million population in low-income countries around the world, compared to just 83 deaths per million in high-income countries.  90% of deaths occur in low and middle-income countries. The European Commission is working with UN bodies and has contributed EUR 900 000 to the UN Road Safety Trust Fund.

Models for success

At a regional level, the EU cooperates with its neighbouring and pre-accession countries, with  ASEAN and the African Union, exchanging best practices and supporting projects that strengthen capacity for safer roads.

The EU supports partners to make road safety a political priority, backed by proper funding. It offers models of successful coordinated action, such as common European rules, from infrastructure safety management to driver training, and projects involving civil society at large, such as the European Road Safety Charter. The EU also promotes internationally recognised concepts and practices, such as the Vision Zero perspective and the ‘Safe System’ approach addressing road safety issues in a systemic way.

In addition, the EU supports initiatives to collect data to underpin policies and monitor outcomes, with its own CARE database and the European Road Safety Observatory serving as a model in terms of data collection methodology and analysis.

The many dedicated actions taken by EU Member States, regions and cities as well as by the industry, NGOs and other stakeholders, such as traffic calming initiatives or awareness raising campaigns, serve as further inspiration for action that can have significant results.