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highlights encouraging examples of countries that
have brought their laws into line with best practice
on particular risk factors, the potential for appropri-
ate road safety laws to reduce road traffic deaths is
largely unmet at a global level.

TARGET TO HALVE DEATHS
India is a signatory to the 2015 Brasilia declaration,
under which it vowed to reduce the number of road
accidents and deaths to half by 2020. This goal looks
improbable, as the annual death toll has hovered
around the 1.5 lakh mark in recent years. Hosted by
the Government of Brazil on 18-19 November 2015
in Brasilia, Brazil, and co-sponsored by WHO, the
2nd Global High-Level Conference on Road Safety
represented a historic opportunity to chart progress
at the mid-point of the Decade of Action for Road
Safety 2011-2020. At the close of the Conference, the
2200 delegates including from India adopted the
“Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety” through which
they agreed ways to halve road traffic deaths by the
end of this decade — a key milestone within the new
Sustainable Development Goal.
have not done enough to implement what we know works. REDUCING SPEED
The report finds fault with speed management, which lies An adult pedestrian has less than a 20 per cent chance of dying
at the heart of an effective approach to reducing deaths and if struck by a car at less than 50 km/h but almost a 60 per cent
injuries, is notably poor in many countries. Then vehicles sold risk of dying if hit at 80 km/h. Speed is a critical risk factor for
in the majority of the world’s countries do not meet minimum road traffic injuries. As average traffic speed increases, so too
safety standards while roads continue to be designed and built does the likelihood of a crash. If a crash does happen, the risk of
without sufficient attention to the needs of the most vulner- death and serious injury is greater at higher speeds, especially
able road users. While much progress has been achieved over for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. Male and young
the past decade, the pace has been too slow. The target of a 50 drivers are more likely to speed, while other factors likely to
per cent reduction in road traffic deaths and injuries by 2020 influence speed include alcohol, road layout, traffic density and
offers a powerful focus around which governments and the weather conditions.
international community can galvanize action. Within this framework, the speed limit where a motorized
The report highlights that the situation is worst in low-in- traffic mixes with pedestrians, cyclists, and moped riders, the
come countries, where rates are more than double than those speed limit must be under 30 km/h. This is due to the vulner-
in high-income countries and there are a disproportionate ability of these road users at increasing speed: an adult pedes-
number of deaths relative to the lower level of motorization. trian has less than a 20 per cent chance of dying if struck by a
The report finds that many high-income countries have been car at less than 50 km/h but almost a 60 per cent risk of dying
very successful at achieving and sustaining reductions in if hit at 80 km/h.
death rates despite increasing motorization. Changing road The type of crash that is likely in a particular situation is
user behaviour is a critical component of the holistic “Safe also an indicator for determining a safe speed. For example,
Systems” approach advocated in this report. on roads where front impacts with other road users are pos-
Adopting and enforcing good laws is effective in changing sible a “safe speed” will be lower than on motorways, where
of road user behaviour on key risk factors for road traffic inju- head on collisions crashes are unlikely. National speed limits
ries — speed, drink — driving, and the failure to use helmets, are crucial for effective speed management. Setting and en-
seat-belts and child restraints properly or at all. The report forcing national speed limits is an important step in reducing
highlights that 17 countries have changed laws to bring their speed. Most countries set a limited number of general national
legislation on one or more of these five risk factors into line speed limits.
with best practice in the past three years. This represents 409 Of the 205 participating countries, 97 set maximum urban
million people or 5.7 per cent of the world’s population. speed limits of less than or equal to 50 km/h, in line with best
The situation is most advanced on seat-belt laws, where practice. Although the definition of urban may vary between
105 countries, representing 67 per cent of the world’s popula- countries, given that these areas usually involve a high con-
tion, now have laws that meet best practice. While the report centration of pedestrians and cyclists, speeds above 50 km/h

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