Global road deaths fall 21%, but toll remains high

NEW YORK — Global road traffic deaths declined by 21 percent between 2011 and 2025 despite the addition of more than 1 billion motor vehicles to the world’s roads, according to new data from the World Health Organization.

The decline came during profound changes in how people travel, including the emergence of new transport modes and a sharp increase in motorcycle use.

Road crashes nevertheless killed 1.16 million people in 2025, while traffic injuries remained the leading cause of death among children and young people ages 5–29.

The findings show that safer roads, vehicles, and traffic policies can prevent deaths even as mobility increases. However, the continuing toll—particularly among children, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists—underscores the need for governments to treat road safety as a public health priority rather than an unavoidable cost of transportation.

The WHO released the data as global leaders adopted a new United Nations General Assembly declaration aimed at accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goal of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50 percent by 2030, compared with 2021 levels.

The declaration was adopted during a high-level meeting on road safety held July 20–21 at the United Nations headquarters in New York.  

“This progress shows that change is possible when countries invest in safe road systems. In the last 15 years we’ve made real progress in reducing road deaths, despite surging vehicle numbers and major shifts in how people move,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

“I commend countries for the strong political declaration they are adopting today, which aims to accelerate action to ensure more roads are designed for people first, not motor vehicles, with safety as priority. All road deaths are preventable and none are acceptable.”

The declaration contains commitments for U.N. member states to implement national road safety strategies with clear targets, timelines, and budgets.

Countries also committed to establishing lead road safety agencies, strengthening data collection and analysis, developing and enforcing stronger laws, and ensuring that roads, infrastructure, and vehicles meet essential safety standards.

Safe-system approach

The declaration calls for implementation of the “safe system” approach, which recognizes that people will make mistakes while using roads.

Instead of relying solely on individual behavior, the approach seeks to design roads, vehicles, speed limits, and regulations so that inevitable errors do not result in death or life-changing injury.

This includes managing vehicle speeds and designing infrastructure so that the forces involved in crashes remain within survivable levels.

The declaration also urges governments to provide stronger leadership and take additional action, while calling on private companies to prioritize road safety throughout their supply chains.

Civil society groups, academic institutions, young people, philanthropic organizations, and the United Nations also have important roles in developing policies, conducting research, raising awareness, and holding institutions accountable.

Motorcycle deaths rise with changing mobility

Nearly 60 percent of the world’s population now lives in urban areas, increasing pressure on transport systems that were largely designed around private motor vehicles.

The growth of ride-hailing and delivery applications contributed to the number of motorcycles more than tripling between 2011 and 2025.

Motorcyclists now account for nearly one-third of road deaths worldwide.

Wearing a safe motorcycle helmet reduces the risk of dying in a crash by more than six times, according to the WHO.

The finding highlights the importance of certified helmets, affordable access, proper fastening, effective helmet standards, and consistent enforcement, particularly in countries where motorcycles provide essential transport and livelihoods.

New modes of transport, including electric scooters, electric bicycles, and autonomous vehicles, present both risks and opportunities for transport planners and policymakers.

The WHO said it is working to address gaps in laws and regulations, promote consistent safety standards, and bring together experts to ensure that new vehicles and technologies are introduced safely.

“More than half of all road deaths are people who aren’t even in a car – they are walking, cycling or riding a motorcycle. When roads are designed as if only car drivers matter, these people are left dangerously exposed,” said Dr. Etienne Krug, director of the Department of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention at the WHO.

“We know what works –  strong laws and enforcement, safe infrastructure and vehicles with particular attention to lowering speed and addressing impaired driving. This declaration means we must all go further and faster.”

Uneven regional progress

Ten countries reduced road deaths by 50 percent during the decade ending in 2021, while more than half of all countries reported declining fatalities over the same period.

Progress varied sharply by region.

Road deaths fell by 36 percent in the WHO European Region, the largest regional reduction.

Fatalities declined by 15 percent in the Western Pacific Region and by only 2 percent in the WHO South-East Asia Region.

The Americas recorded no change, while the WHO African Region experienced a 17-percent increase in road deaths.  

These disparities suggest that global progress is being driven by countries with stronger safety laws, infrastructure, vehicle standards, emergency care, and enforcement, while many lower-resource settings continue to face rising motorization without equivalent investment in protection.

Healthier, safer cities

The U.N. declaration links road safety with broader public health and sustainable development goals.

Transport systems that make walking, cycling, and public transportation safer can reduce traffic congestion and air pollution while supporting physical activity.

Safer mobility can also improve access to schools, health services, employment, and markets, particularly for children, older people, low-income households, and people without private vehicles.

Road design therefore affects more than crash statistics. It influences whether communities are healthy and accessible—and whether people can travel without facing an unacceptable risk of death or serious injury.