Dr. Bahaa Helmy Writes: Reducing Deaths and Injuries from Road Traffic Accidents by 2020

Halving the Number of Deaths and Injuries from Road Traffic Accidents by 2020 The World Health Organization's 2015 report on the state of "road safety" indicates that 1.25 million people lose their lives on the world's roads every year, and that countries' efforts to reduce road traffic deaths remain insufficient if the international road safety targets set by the Sustainable Development Agenda are to be achieved. The report explained that in September 2015 the heads of state attending the United Nations General Assembly, Egypt among them, adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and that one of the new targets of the Sustainable Development Goals is to halve the number of deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2020, with the agenda ending in 2030. The report stated that the inclusion of this target reflects growing recognition of the heavy toll caused by road traffic injuries, since road crashes are a leading cause of death worldwide and the main cause of death among those aged between 15 and 29. It also recognised the heavy burden that road traffic injuries place on national economies and on families, which brings the issue in line with development plans and the Sustainable Development Goals. The report notes that some of the vehicles sold in 80% of the world's countries combined do not meet minimum safety standards, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, and that road traffic accidents are expected to claim the lives of around 1.9 million people a year by 2020 if no action is taken to prevent this. Road traffic injuries also cause enormous economic losses for victims, their families and the state, whether in terms of the costs of treatment and compensation for the deceased and the disabled, or the loss of productivity of the injured and of family members who are forced to miss work or school to care for their relatives. Young people aged between 15 and 44 account for about 59% of those killed or injured in these accidents. The report urges governments to take the necessary measures to ensure road safety in an integrated manner, with the participation of the transport, police, health and education sectors, to improve vehicle safety features, to care for victims, and to review the factors and causes that lead to accidents, namely:

• Speed, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, motorcycle helmets, seat belts and child restraints and seats, distraction while driving and the use of mobile phones while driving, improving roads, improving the behaviour of road users, and emergency services.
• The participation of civil society, academia and the media. The World Health Organization has obtained funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies to promote road safety in ten countries, Egypt among them. The efforts made under this project focus on strengthening legislation and its enforcement, capacity building, educating the public through social awareness campaigns, and establishing sustainable government programmes (the goal).