140,000 injured in road accidents each day

The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed alarm that many countries overlook road traffic injuries as a public health issue when around 140,000 people get injured on roads everyday.

In a report entitled "Road Safety is no Accident," WHO director general Dr. Lee Jong-wook said that road safety is often considered a transportation issue when it should be a public health concern.

"Road traffic injuries are called ‘accidents’ though most could be prevented. As a result, many countries put far less effort into understanding and preventing road traffic injuries than they do into understanding and preventing diseases that do less harm," Lee noted.

WHO celebrates World Health Day on April 7 by focusing on road safety.

WHO estimates that everyday, around 140,000 people get injured on the road globally. Over 3,000 die while some 15,000 are disabled for life.

"Current figures are alarming enough. Even more alarming are trends. If they continue, by 2020, the numbers of people killed and disabled everyday on the world’s roads will have grown by more than 60 percent," Lee added.

The report showed that such projection will make road traffic injuries "a leading contributor to the global burden of disease and injury."

"It is estimated that in 2002, road crashes killed 1.18 million people and injured about 20 to 50 million more. Millions more were hospitalized for days, weeks or months. Perhaps five million were disabled for life," the report revealed.

In 1990, road traffic was the 9th cause of disease or injury but this will jack up to 3rd place by 2020 if intervention measures are not implemented.

Preventive measures proposed by WHO include the reduction of exposure of people to road traffic by planning road networks and by providing safety crossings and sidewalks or separate paths for pedestrians and cyclists, and by ensuring that transportation facilities are in good condition.

WHO also wanted the use of seatbelts to be required among drivers and passengers.