Source: Fortune
Summary
A study published in Lancet Public Health found that while global road injury and death rates have declined by over 30% since 1990, lower-income countries have not seen significant improvements. In the US, road deaths rose between 1990 and 2023, but have since declined. The World Health Organization reported that road traffic deaths still claim over 1.1 million lives annually, with 90% of these deaths occurring in low-income countries.
Our Reading
The numbers tell one story.
The US saw a decline in road deaths in 2024 and 2025, but the country still lags behind other high-income nations in terms of road safety. Meanwhile, lower-income countries struggle to keep up with rapid urbanization and the increasing use of motorized vehicles. The World Health Organization has identified road safety as an international public health priority for over two decades. The Lancet report’s release coincides with a UN high-level meeting on improving global road safety. Road injury outcomes are shaped not only by crashes, but by the systems designed to prevent them and protect people when they occur.
Author: Evan Null
