Key Findings of the report:
- Road accidents are the leading cause of death among people in the 5-29 age-group worldwide.
- More than 1.35 million lives are lost each year and 50 million sustaining injuries.
- Since 2008, India has maintained the dubious distinction of being world number one in road crash deaths, inspite of being a signatory to the Brasilia Declaration on Road Safety.
- As per the data released by the Indian government, road crashes kill close to 1,50,000 people each year. However, the WHO report challenged the numbers and stated that India might be losing over 2,99,000 people each year.
- The reasons listed for this trend include — rapid urbanisation, poor safety, lack of enforcement, distracted, influence of drugs or alcohol, speeding and a failure to wear seat-belts or helmets, according to experts.
