Road injuries killed more ten- to 19-year-olds than any disease did in 2013, shows a study published in JAMA Pediatrics based on a global health survey.
The study “Global and National Burden of Diseases and Injuries Among Children and Adolescents Between 1990 and 2013. Findings From the Global Burden of Disease 2013 Study” shows that the trend in road deaths for this age group is stagnant or increasing in most developing countries.
Road injuries are the leading cause of death among adolescents globally, killing about 115,000 young people in 2013, compared to about 76,000 deaths due to HIVAIDS, based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013.
Most people do not realize that road injuries are the second [biggest] cause of death in five- to 14-year-olds in developing countries, and the first in developed countries.”
HIV/AIDS remains the top killer for this age group in most of Sub-Saharan Africa, but road injuries were the leading cause of adolescent deaths in Argentina, Egypt, Indonesia, Mexico and Sudan, among other countries.
For children aged between five and nine, the most common cause of death in 2013 globally was diarrhoeal disease, but road injuries remained the top killer in North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, the study shows.
Road safety is now included in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and a group of governments has committed to improve law enforcement, road infrastructure and vehicle safety as part of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.
Alcohol is a major risk factor for road traffic accidents and injuries.
Alcohol use and road safety should be public health priorities in low- and middle-income countries where the burden is high.”
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For further reading:
Summary: GLOBAL STATUS REPORT ON ROAD SAFETY 2015
WHO report: Youth and road safety