In 2000, an estimated 1.26 million people were killed in traffic accidents: the ninth overall cause of mortality and morbidity and accounting for 2.2% of global deaths. In people aged 15-29 years it was the second leading cause of death. As traffic density increases in developing countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) expects the toll to rise. The WHO road safety policy is to reverse accident trends. At a WHO-sponsored meeting in Geneva on 24-25 September 2003, participants agreed to work together to combat rising road traffic fatalities. This was the first gathering of many of the most influential players in the road safety field. WHO has made road safety the theme of the World Health Day 2004 in order to heighten global awareness.
Samenvatting