Feature
Saving millions of lives across the Decade of Action for Road Safety
Author
Dr Etienne Krug Director, Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability, World Health Organization (WHO)
On 11 May 2011, governments around the world, with support from partners in civil society, academia, the private sector and the international community, embarked on an important initiative that could improve the health and well-being of citizens around the world. The first ever Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, launched in more than 100 countries, seeks to save millions of lives. Mandated by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the Decade is an historic opportunity for countries to stop and reverse current trends, which predict that road traffic crashes will kill an estimated 1.9 million people annually by the year 2020 - up from the estimated 1.2 million today - if no action is taken.