Dear Editor
Geduld and Kinyanjui are right to remind us that road traffic injuries are the leading killer of children and adults aged 5-29 years globally, and that individuals in low and middle income countries continue to face the highest risk of death per population.(1,2)
In many high income countries road safety is also not given the priority it deserves. There is often a lack of leadership, funding, and other resources. However, there is substantial theory and robust research evidence indicating the considerable progress that could be made in road safety.(3) In some countries, for example Sweden, Netherlands and Australia, there has been tremendous success in road safety.
In the UK, deaths due to crashes and the number of serious injuries remains too high.(4) In 2023, over 1,600 people tragically lost their lives on UK roads, over 28,000 more were seriously injured and there were more than 132,000 injuries of all severity. Among all drivers, those under 25 are not only more likely to be killed or injured on the roads but are responsible for many other deaths and serious injuries.
We are very fortunate within the UK to have a world leading organisation, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), that has just published a groundbreaking research report on accident prevention.(4) The report covers predictable and preventable accidents in a range of settings including homes, the workplace and on roads.
Five key recommendations in the report in relation to road safety are:
1. Introduce a Road Safety Strategy for England.
2. Encourage healthy and active travel, including walking and cycling.(5)
3. Introduce a system of Graduated Driver Licensing in the UK.(6,7)
4. Support public awareness campaigns aimed at promoting behavioural change in relation to speeding, drink and drug driving, seat belt wearing, distraction and driving drowsy.
5. Establish a dedicated body to investigate serious road incidents.
In line with the World Health Organisation, the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) and RoSPA, the Institute of Health Promotion and Education recommends that the government’s new road safety strategy should follow a “Safe System Approach” focusing on prevention, protection, and post-collision response.(2-4,8,9) This positive and proactive approach will not only save lives but will also be a major enabler of active travel and decarbonization.
Road traffic injuries impose an enormous economic cost on individuals, families and societies.(2,4,8-10) As Geduld and Kinyanjui note, there are far-reaching consequences for income and education, with psychological effects also disrupting the lives of the injured and their families.(1) Political will must match the scale and urgency of this public health crisis as well as the potential for improvement, implementing achievable recommendations made from the available strong evidence base.
Our government needs a paradigm shift in commitment, investment, leadership and action to tackle this preventable crisis. Road safety policies provide benefits across the transport network, health and social care and ultimately contribute to thriving, productive communities.
References
1) Geduld H I, Kinyanjui P. Road safety in Africa: a preventable public health crisis BMJ 2024; 387 :q2498 doi:10.1136/bmj.q2498.
https://www.bmj.com/content/387/bmj.q2498
2) World Health Organization. Global status report on road safety 2023. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2023.
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240086517
3) Watson M C and Neil K E. IHPE Position Statement: Road Safety. Altrincham: Institute of Health Promotion and Education, 2024.
https://ihpe.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IHPE-Position-Statement-R…
4) Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). Safer Lives, Stronger Nation: Our Call for a National Accident Prevention Strategy Birmingham: RoSPA, 2024.
https://www.rospa.com/news-and-views/preventable-accidents-in-the-uk-are…
5) Watson M C, Neil K E. Prioritise health of children and young people by promoting both safe and active travel BMJ 2023; 380 :p49 doi:10.1136/bmj.p49.
https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj.p49
6) Hirschberg J, Lye J. Impacts of graduated driver licensing regulations. Accident Analysis & Prevention. 2020;139:105485.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0001457519300533#…
7) Moore, Timothy J., and Todd Morris. Shaping the Habits of Teen Drivers. American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 2024, 16 (3): 367–93.
https://benny.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/pol.20220403
8) World Health Organization. Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2021.
https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/global-plan-for-the-decade-of-ac…
9) Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety. Manifesto for Road Safety 2024. A Call to Action for the Incoming Government. London: PACTS, 2024.
https://www.pacts.org.uk/15769-2/#:~:text=‘Manifesto%20for%20Road%20Safety’%20was,serious%20injuries%20on%20UK%20roads.
10) International Transport Forum. United Kingdom: Road Safety Country Profile 2023. Paris: OECD Publishing, 2024.
https://www.itf-oecd.org/sites/default/files/united-kingdom-road-safety.pdf
Road safety in the UK: a preventable public health crisis