The number of road deaths continues to drop around the world

The latest report from the International Transport Forum (ITF), which studies road safety statistics in 28 countries, confirms that the number of road deaths has been steadily declining for years, but with great disparities depending on the country.

The latest report from the International Transport Forum (ITF), which studies road safety statistics in 28 countries, confirms that the number of road deaths has been steadily declining for years, but with large disparities depending on the country.

IRTAD, a group of international experts

The International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group (IRTAD) is a permanent working group of the Joint Transport Research Center linked to the OECD and the International Transport Forum. It is made up of road safety experts and statisticians who work with representatives of national transport and safety administrations, international organizations, universities, automobile associations, the automobile industry, etc.. The IRTAD database includes annual road accident statistics by country since 1970 as well as key figures for each State (population, number of motor vehicles, road network, etc.).

"Since 2000, the number of road fatalities has fallen by 42% in the 28 countries of the International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group (IRTAD)", indicates the ITF, stressing that according to provisional figures for 2014, 15 of IRTAD’s 28 member countries have succeeded in reducing the number of road deaths. Mortality increased in eight other countries and remained stable elsewhere.

For its part, a detailed analysis of the figures for 2013 shows that the best pupils are Sweden with 2.7 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants (3.4 deaths per million vehicle-kilometer) and the United Kingdom with 2.8 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants (3.5 deaths per million vehicle-kilometer).

14th of the two rankings, France is in the average of the 28 countries with 5.1 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants and 5.8 deaths per million vehicle-kilometer (against respectively 32.5 and 90.4 in 1970!), while the United States, Chile and Argentina bring up the rear with 10.3, 12 and 12.3 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.

Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists

The decrease in mortality in the world since 2000 is logically less pronounced among vulnerable users (motorcyclists, scooter riders, cyclists and pedestrians), which explains the change in policy towards them, estimates IRTAD, stressing that "in many country, the priorities of road safety have recently shifted from road traffic to vulnerable users in urban areas ". 

While between 2000 and 2013 the number of deaths among motorists fell by 54%, it fell "only" by 36% among pedestrians, 35% among cyclists and 22% among motorcyclists and scooters.

Drivers of motorized two-wheelers in the IRTAD countries represent 8% of motorized vehicles for 16% of road deaths (12,000 killed in 2012), but large disparities exist depending on the country. According to statistics published by the ITF, the highest proportions of bikers and scooter riders killed are found in Greece (38% of road deaths), Italy (29%) and France (26%) while ‘Conversely, Canada, Iceland and Poland bring up the rear … for obvious weather reasons !

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