Survey: India leads world in road deaths, nearly 300 die daily

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), India is leading in the annual reported number of traffic deaths worldwide.

In its first ever Global Status Report on Road Safety, the WHO revealed that India leads with 1,05,000 traffic deaths in an year, followed by China with over 96,000 deaths on road.

The survey was conducted in 178 countries that account for 98 per cent of the total population of the world.

Shockingly, as per the survey about 300 Indians die on roads everyday. Besides, at least two million people have disabilities caused from a road traffic accident.

The survey is based on data collection for 2006; it began in March 2008 and was completed in September 2008. It states that more than 1.2 million people die each year on roads across the world, and between 20 and 50 million suffer non-fatal injuries.

Low-income and middle-income countries have higher road traffic fatality rates (21.5 and 19.5 per lakh of population, respectively) than high-income countries (10.3 per lakh). Around 62 per cent of reported road traffic deaths occur in 10 countries: India, China, the US, the Russian Federation, Brazil, Iran, Mexico, Indonesia, South Africa and Egypt.

The 10 countries with the lowest road traffic fatality rates are all high-income countries, including the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom, said the survey.

To avoid road accidents, the survey has suggested: set speed limits that reflect the function of individual roads, a drink-driving law that should be strictly enforced, mandatory laws on helmet use on motorised two- and three-wheelers, seat belts in both front and rear seats of all vehicles and child restraint laws in vehicles.

The survey predicts that by 2030, road traffic injuries would become the fifth leading cause of death worldwide.