The UN Calls for Doubling Efforts to Prevent 13 Million Traffic Victims in the Next Decade

The United Nations (UN) has issued a strong call to action, urging its Member States to intensify their efforts to combat the "pandemic" of road accidents.

According to the UN, without more decisive action, the next decade will see an additional 13 million fatalities and 500 million injuries on the world's roads.

This demand is part of the Second Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aiming to halve deaths and injuries.

The current figures are alarming: each year, 1.3 million people die and 50 million suffer serious injuries due to traffic accidents. Most strikingly, it is the leading cause of death among children and young people globally, particularly in the age range of five to 29 years. This issue, persisting since at least 1896 when the first fatal pedestrian accident was recorded in London, requires an urgent global response.

Fundación MAPFRE has positively evaluated that this second decade for road safety is "more action-oriented." Of the 65 new measures proposed by the UN, MAPFRE highlights those promoting increased public funding and greater private sector involvement, as exemplified by the Foundation itself. They also emphasize the need for greater political commitment among countries and the crucial importance of controlling and reducing driving speed.

Jesús Monclús, Director of Prevention and Road Safety at Fundación MAPFRE, advocated for involving young people as key actors and explicitly recognizing safe mobility as a "fundamental human right and a common social good." This is because mobility is an integral part of almost every aspect of people's daily lives. The report also notes that men take two to four times more risk in driving than women, who, in turn, predominantly lose their lives as pedestrians or passengers. Middle and low-income regions are the most affected, accounting for nine out of ten traffic fatalities.

Without more decisive measures, the problem will not only worsen in terms of fatalities and injuries but will also increase psychological sequelae and economic repercussions, hindering the sustainable development of countries, especially those with lower incomes.

The new UN plan integrates actions within the Sustainable Development Goals, considering safe mobility as a prerequisite for achieving other goals such as access to education, employment, poverty alleviation, and social equity.

Experts like Monclús consider the emphasis on increasing funding and training road safety professionals, along with incorporating a greater gender dimension, a success of the new document. The Evaluation Report of the First Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020) reflects a growing consensus among institutions and countries to make road safety a public health issue, promoting better injury registration systems and international collaboration for implementing best practices.

Despite progress, only 28 countries worldwide (home to 7% of the global population) have a solid legislative base to combat risks such as alcohol abuse, speeding, and the lack of helmet or child restraint system use.

The Global Plan demands that countries adhere to UN international conventions on vehicle safety and that manufacturers raise safety equipment standards, regardless of each nation's per capita income. It also seeks to promote road safety education and comprehensive care for accident victims and their families.