Deaths from road traffic injuries will nearly double to 2.4 million a year unless safety measures are strengthened

About 1.3 million people die each year in road traffic crashes around the world, a number that is expected to reach 2.4 million a year by 2030 unless measures to curb them are put in place, says a report from the World Health Organization.

WHO predicts that by 2030 road traffic injuries will become the fifth leading cause of death, up from the current ninth place, and will account for 3.6% of all deaths, up from 2.2% in 2004.

Almost half (46%) of the people who die on the roads each year are pedestrians, cyclists, or users of motorised two wheeled vehicles—collectively known as “vulnerable road users”—says the report. In some countries, such as Colombia, Guatemala, and Peru, more than 70% of fatalities on the roads are in this group, while in …