Road safety is a critical development priority for South Asia, impacting health, wellbeing and economic growth. Countries in the region must work together if they are to achieve the goal of halving road crash deaths by 2030. This blog is part of our Together for Road Safety campaign.
Road traffic crashes and deaths are routine occurrences around the world, especially in lower- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Every day, thousands of youths lose their lives in road accidents.
Among 1.35 million road traffic deaths every year (which may be reflective of COVID-19 related deaths) over 30 percent fall under the age of 25. Likewise, road crashes remain the single biggest killer and injury burden to young people aged 15-29 , which amounts to more than the deaths caused by HIV/AIDS and Malaria.
It is, therefore, high time that we opt for common action, resources, better policy, and solidarity to improve the dire situation of road safety. Further strengthening of legislation, improving licensing systems, and road traffic awareness among the youths are necessary steps to mitigate the risks.