Abstract
This report indicates that in 1999 between 750,000 to 880,000 people were killed in road crashes worldwide and 23 to 34 million injured. Officially reported fatalities underestimate the true extent of the problem and examples of under-reporting of road fatalities are provided. A crude estimate of accident cost suggests a total global figure of about US$500 billion (1997). Trend data shows road deaths continuing to increase in developing regions of the world but falling in the highly motorised countries of western Europe, North America and Japan. Pedestrians are shown to be a particularly high risk group throughout Africa, Asia and the Middle East. (A)