​​​​​​​Road Accidents Leading Killers of Children, Young Adults, with Most in Poorer Countries, Says Secretary-General, in World Remembrance Day Message

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, observed on 15 November:

Road traffic collisions are a major health and development concern.  Some 3,700 fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, friends and colleagues are lost on the world’s roads every day.  Road traffic incidents are the leading cause of death for children and young adults between 5 and 29 years old, and 90 per cent of victims live in low- and middle-income countries.

We need to remember this as we resolve to build a strong recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Our mobility systems must have safety at their core.  This is the only way we will achieve the ambitious goal of halving road deaths and injuries by 2030.

The United Nations road safety conventions are key to helping countries address the main causes of accidents.  I welcome the recent General Assembly resolution that proclaimed a second Decade of Action for Road Safety from 2021 to 2030 and urged support for the efforts of my Special Envoy for Road Safety and for the United Nations Road Safety Fund.

As we remember the victims of road traffic collisions, let’s commit to reimagining ways to move around the world that are safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable for all, everywhere.