Road traffic safety - challenges for public health response

Abstract

Road traffic safety is a high-priority public health problem. In the world annually, around 1.25 million people die on roads as a result of road traffic accidents (2.1% of global mortality), and 20-

50 million people are injured and remain with life-long consequences. In Europe, about 85,000 people died from road traffic injuries in 2013, which is a decrease of 8.1% for fatal road traffic injuries compared to 2010, despite the general increase of 7% of the number of motor vehicles. About 40% of the dead are pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. The risk of death from road traffic injuries varies in the region, with higher risk for men, children and older people, as well as the population living in low and middle income countries and countries of the eastern part of Europe. Road traffic safety indicators show that in the Republic of Macedonia annually on average around 150 people lose their lives in traffic crashes on the roads, and the number of vehicles and drivers continuously increases. Driving speed is a key to the problem of road traffic injuries. Road traffic injuries are preventable, and a 5% reduction of average speed can result in a 30% reduction of fatal road traffic accidents and many saved lives. Sectors should act together in the country and at the municipal level to implement measures to ensure that speed is under control in order to make roads safer.