In 2014, 52 of the 53 Member States of the WHO European Region participated in the data collection for the Global status report on road safety 2015, which was published in October 2015. The regional factsheet European facts and the global status report on road safety 2015 analysed the reported data and concluded that road traffic injuries are still a major health challenge in the WHO European Region. This publication presents 52 country profiles from the Global status report on road safety 2015 and is a companion to European facts and the global status report on road safety 2015. It presents national data collected using a standardized methodology and will allow individual countries to: 1. assess their own status with regards to road traffic fatality and policy indicators; 2. examine the comprehensiveness of legislation on established behavioural risk factors of speeding, drink—driving, and not using motorcycle helmets, seat-belts and child car restraints; 3. assess road safety audits, policies on mobility and vehicle safety standards; and 4. take stock of progress towards achieving better road safety for all road users. The country profiles were compiled with the support of national data coordinators who facilitated data collection from a number of sectors and stakeholders in each country. National data coordinators were nominated by their governments and trained by WHO in the project methodology. Road safety experts from different sectors in their countries reached consensus to complete a self-administered questionnaire under the guidance of the national data coordinator. Data on legislation on the behavioural risk factors were verified using national legislative documents and an independent analysis of laws. Additional data relating to vehicle standards were obtained from the database of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Data reported for populations were extracted from the United Nations Population Division database, while gross national income per capita for the year 2013 came from World Bank estimates. All data were validated by national and WHO experts. Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of premature death in young people aged 5—29 years. Despite a fall of about 8% in the number of road traffic deaths in the Region when compared to 2010, almost 85 000 people died from road traffic injuries in 2013, representing more than 230 deaths every day. The risk of mortality varies greatly across countries and the risk of dying is almost nine times higher in the country with the highest rate than in that with the lowest. Death rates in low-and middle-income countries are 1.4 times higher than in high-income countries, even though they have fewer vehicles. Most countries have reported a fall in road traffic crash deaths since the last assessment in 2010, but it is of concern that eight countries report an increase. In total, 39% of road traffic crash deaths are found among vulnerable road users, comprising pedestrians (26%), cyclists (4%) and motorcyclists (9%). For every person who dies from a road crash, at least 23 have non-fatal injuries requiring hospitalization and many more require emergency room attendances. The economic costs borne by countries are very high and pose a threat to sustainable development. This publication presents in alphabetical order 52 country profiles on road safety. The profiles provide a selection of core information about road safety, including statistics on road traffic fatality for 2013, key policy indicators, legislation on the established behavioural risk factors of speeding, drink—driving, and not using motorcycle helmets, seatbelts and child car restraints and others, and information on vehicle safety standards, safer roads and mobility. Since 2010, six countries in the Region have aligned at least one of these laws with best practice. However, acceleration of political action is urgently needed in many countries to improve and enforce laws to achieve a 50% reduction in death and injuries from road crashes by 2020, as set out in target 3.6 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (6). In addition, better protection of the most vulnerable road users from the impact of collisions, and developing transport policy that encourages a shift to more active modes of transport such as walking and cycling, will have added health and environmental benefits, and prevent the development of obesity, noncommunicable diseases and climate change. A whole-of-society approach is needed to overcome this major public health concern in the WHO European Region. It is hoped that these country profiles will act as a catalyst to spur such action. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting