Motorists speed past a traffic sign with a crashed vehicle on top on a road in Quezon City, east of Manila in the Philippines. The message below reads: "Buckle up, the life you save may be your own". Photograph: Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images
The UN launches on Wednesday its "decade for action" on road safety to cut the 1.3 million deaths on the road each year.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), road traffic accidents kill more people around the world than malaria, and are the leading cause of death for young people aged five to 29 – especially in developing countries. Each year up to 50 million people are injured in traffic accidents, globally.
"Road traffic crashes are a public health and development crisis," says WHO director general Margaret Chan. "Every day, road traffic crashes claim nearly 3,500 lives and injure many thousands more. The vast majority of those affected are young people in developing countries."
The economic consequences are also significant: According to the WHO, car crashes cost the world more than $500bn each year. And the WHO warns that accidents on the road are also a leading cause of disability worldwide.
In advance of the summit on the millennium development goals (MDGs) in New York last September, campaigners argued that the figures on road deaths worldwide should serve as a "global wake-up call". But while traffic accidents are dramatic, road safety is not seen as the most pressing development issue. Through its decade for action, the UN aims to change that, hoping to aggressively mobilise interest and action around improving the world's roads. By 2020, the UN hopes to have reduced road deaths by 50%.
So where are the world's most dangerous roads? Which countries are hardest hit? To mark the launch of the UN decade, we've pulled out the most recent data on traffic deaths and injuries, from the 2009 Global status report on road safety. We've included both the data on the reported number of traffic deaths per country and the WHO's estimates of what the actual numbers are (the WHO is currently updating its figures).
Some highlights from the data:
• while low and middle-income countries are home to less than 50% of the world's registered vehicles, 90% of the world's road traffic deaths occur in developing countries
• India has the highest absolute number of recorded road deaths (105,725), followed by China (96,611), the US (42,642) and Russia (35,972). In comparison, the UK has 3,298 recorded road deaths
• when you look at recorded road deaths proportional to a country's population, the Cook Islands comes out on top (45.0 road deaths per 100,000 people), followed by Libya (34.7), South Africa (33.2) and Iran (32.2)
• according to WHO estimates, Eritrea is home to the highest concentration of road deaths (48.4 per 100,000 people), followed by the Cook Islands, Egypt and Libya.
Note: The WHO is set to release updated data on road traffic accidents around the world in 2012. It will also add new statistics, such as the number of people who arrive at hospitals via ambulance, and the number of people who suffer disabilities after traffic accidents.
The full data is below. What can you do with it?
Data summary
Road Accidents around the World
Click heading to sort
Country
GNI per capita ($US 2007)
Road deaths (reported)
Road deaths per 100,000 (reported)
Road deaths (estimated)
Road deaths per 100,000 (estimated)
SOURCE: WHO
Afghanistan
319
1779
6.6
10593
39.0
Albania
3290
499
15.6
445
13.9
Angola
2560
2358
13.9
6425
37.7
Argentina
6050
5281
13.4
5427
13.7
Armenia
2640
371
12.4
417
13.9
Australia
35960
1616
7.8
1616
7.8
Austria
42700
691
8.3
691
8.3
Azerbaijan
2550
1195
14.1
1099
13.0
Bahamas (the)
18570
48
14.5
48
14.5
Bahrain
20610
91
12.1
91
12.1
Bangladesh
470
4108
2.6
20038
12.6
Barbados
11290
36
12.2
36
12.2
Belarus
4220
1517
15.7
1517
15.7
Belgium
40710
1067
10.2
1067
10.2
Belize
3800
65
22.6
45
15.6
Benin
570
653
7.2
2815
31.2
Bhutan
1770
111
16.9
95
14.4
Bolivia
1260
1394
14.6
1594
16.7
Bosnia and Herzegovina
3790
428
10.9
428
10.9
Botswana
5840
482
25.6
636
33.8
Brazil
5910
35155
18.3
35155
18.3
British Virgin Islandsh
43686
5
21.7
5
21.7
Brunei Darussalam
30580
54
13.8
54
13.8
Bulgaria
4590
1006
13.2
1006
13.2
Burkina Faso
430
804
5.4
4595
31.1
Burundi
110
63
0.7
1989
23.4
Cambodia
540
1668
11.5
1749
12.1
Cameroon
1050
1069
5.8
5206
28.1
Canada
39420
2889
8.8
2889
8.8
Cape Verde
2430
49
9.2
133
25.1
Central African Republic (the)
380
565
13.0
1399
32.2
Chad
540
814
7.6
3696
34.3
Chile
8350
2280
13.7
2280
13.7
China
2360
96611
7.2
220783
16.5
Colombia
3250
5409
11.7
5409
11.7
Comoros (the)
680
15
1.8
254
30.3
Congo (the)
1540
207
5.5
1084
28.8
Cook Islands
13098
6
45.0
6
45.0
Costa Rica
5560
688
15.4
688
15.4
Croatia
10460
619
13.6
619
13.6
Cuba
4571
964
8.6
964
8.6
Cyprus
24940
89
10.4
89
10.4
Czech Republic (the)
14450
1222
12.0
1222
12.0
Democratic Republic of the Congo (the)
140
365
0.6
20183
32.2
Dominican Republic
3550
1838
18.8
1691
17.3
Ecuador
3080
2341
17.5
1559
11.7
Egypt
1580
15983
21.2
31439
41.6
El Salvador
2850
1493
21.8
865
12.6
Eritrea
230
81
1.7
2350
48.4
Estonia
13200
196
14.7
196
14.7
Ethiopia
220
2441
2.9
29114
35.0
Fiji
3800
59
7.0
59
7.0
Finland
44400
380
7.2
380
7.2
France
38500
4620
7.5
4620
7.5
Gambia (the)
320
54
3.2
625
36.6
Georgia
2120
737
16.8
737
16.8
Germany
38860
4949
6.0
4949
6.0
Ghana
590
1856
7.9
6942
29.6
Greece
29630
1657
14.9
1657
14.9
Guatemala
2305
755
5.7
1968
14.7
Guinea-Bissau
200
152
9.0
583
34.4
Guyana
1300
207
28.1
147
19.9
Honduras
1600
1266
17.8
959
13.5
Hungary
11570
1232
12.3
1232
12.3
Iceland
54100
30
10.0
30
10.0
India
950
105725
9.0
196445
16.8
Indonesia
1650
16548
7.1
37438
16.2
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
3470
22918
32.2
25491
35.8
Iraq
1646
1932
6.7
11059
38.1
Ireland
48140
365
8.5
365
8.5
Israel
21900
398
5.7
398
5.7
Italy
33540
5669
9.6
5669
9.6
Jamaica
3710
350
12.9
334
12.3
Japan
37670
6639
5.2
6639
5.0
Jordan
2850
992
16.7
2027
34.2
Kazakhstan
5060
4714
30.6
4714
30.6
Kenya
680
3760
10.0
12918
34.4
Kiribati
1170
7
7.4
7
7.4
Kuwait
40114
482
16.9
482
16.9
Kyrgyzstan
590
1214
22.8
1214
22.8
Lao People's Democratic Republic (the)
580
656
11.2
1075
18.3
Latvia
9930
407
17.9
407
17.9
Lebanon
5770
536
13.1
1170
28.5
Lesotho
1000
402
20.0
537
26.7
Liberia
150
1235
32.9
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (the)
9010
2138
34.7
2497
40.5
Lithuania
9920
759
22.4
759
22.4
Madagascar
320
594
3.0
6641
33.7
Malawi
250
839
6.0
3614
26.0
Malaysia
6540
6282
23.6
6282
23.6
Maldives
3200
10
3.3
56
18.3
Mali
500
711
5.8
3959
32.1
Malta
14575
14
3.4
14
3.4
Marshall Islands (the)
3070
1
1.7
1
1.7
Mauritania
840
262
8.4
1109
35.5
Mauritius
5450
140
11.1
140
11.1
Mexico
8340
22103
20.7
22103
20.7
Micronesia (Federated States of)
2470
2
1.8
16
14.4
Mongolia
1290
562
21.4
507
19.3
Montenegro
5180
122
20.4
122
20.4
Morocco
2250
3838
12.3
8850
28.3
Mozambique
320
1952
9.1
7432
34.7
Myanmar
281
1638
3.4
11422
23.4
Namibia
3360
368
17.7
594
28.6
Nauru
7842
1
9.9
1
9.9
Nepal
340
962
3.4
4245
15.1
Netherlands (the)
45820
791
4.8
791
4.8
New Zealand
28780
423
10.1
423
10.1
Nicaragua
980
506
9.0
797
14.2
Niger (the)
280
570
4.0
5357
37.7
Nigeria
930
4532
3.1
47865
32.3
Norway
76450
233
5.0
233
5.0
Oman
11275
798
30.7
553
21.3
Pakistan
870
7234
4.4
41494
25.3
Palau
8210
3
14.8
3
14.8
Panama
5510
425
12.7
425
12.7
Papua New Guinea
850
308
4.9
901
14.2
Paraguay
1670
854
13.9
1206
19.7
Peru
3450
3510
12.6
6001
21.5
Philippines (the)
1620
1185
1.3
17557
20.0
Poland
9840
5583
14.7
5583
14.7
Portugal
18950
1110
10.4
1110
10.4
Puerto Ricoj
14720
452
11.3
511
12.8
Qatar
66063
199
23.7
199
23.7
Republic of Korea (the)
19690
6166
12.8
6166
12.8
Republic of Moldova (the)
1260
571
15.1
571
15.1
Romania
6150
2712
12.7
2712
12.7
Russian Federation (the)
7560
35972
25.2
35972
25.2
Rwanda
320
308
3.2
3077
31.6
Saint Lucia
5349
29
17.6
29
17.6
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
4210
8
6.6
8
6.6
Samoa
2430
19
10.2
24
12.8
San Marino
41044
1
3.2
1
3.2
Sao Tome and Principe
870
20
12.7
52
33.0
Saudi Arabia
15440
6358
25.7
7166
29.0
Senegal
820
345
2.8
4023
32.5
Serbia
4730
962
9.8
962
9.8
Seychelles
8960
16
18.5
16
18.5
Sierra Leone
260
68
1.2
1661
28.3
Singapore
32470
214
4.8
214
4.8
Slovakia
11730
815
15.1
815
15.1
Slovenia
20960
293
14.6
293
14.6
Solomon Islands
730
19
3.8
84
16.9
South Africa
5760
16113
33.2
16113
33.2
Spain
29450
4104
9.3
4104
9.3
Sri Lanka
1540
2334
12.1
2603
13.5
Sudan (the)
960
2227
5.8
13362
34.7
Suriname
4730
90
19.7
84
18.3
Swaziland
2580
235
20.6
300
26.3
Sweden
46060
471
5.2
471
5.2
Switzerland
59880
370
4.9
370
4.9
Syrian Arab Republic (the)
1760
3663
18.4
6552
32.9
Tajikistan
460
464
6.9
951
14.1
Thailand
3400
16240
25.4
16240
19.6
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
3460
140
6.9
140
6.9
Timor-Leste
1510
49
4.2
186
16.1
Togo
360
613
9.3
1851
28.1
Tonga
2320
7
7.0
7
7.0
Trinidad and Tobago
14100
207
15.5
207
15.5
Tunisia
3200
1497
14.5
3568
34.5
Turkey
8020
6022
8.0
10066
13.4
Turkmenistan
1234
702
14.1
926
18.6
Tuvalu
2441
1
9.5
1
9.5
Uganda
340
2838
9.2
7634
24.7
Ukraine
2550
9921
21.5
9921
21.5
United Arab Emirates (the)
41082
1056
24.1
1626
37.1
United Kingdom (the)
42740
3298
5.4
3298
5.4
United Republic of Tanzania (the)
400
2595
6.4
13886
34.3
United States of America (the)
46040
42642
13.9
42642
13.9
Uruguay
6380
145
4.3
145
4.3
Uzbekistan
730
2644
9.7
2644
9.7
Vanuatu
1840
7
3.1
42
18.6
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
7320
6031
21.8
6031
21.8
Viet Nam
790
16640
19.0
14104
16.1
West Bank and Gaza Striph
1422
188
4.7
896
4.9
Yemen
870
3003
13.4
6553
29.3
Zambia
800
1645
13.8
3056
25.6
Zimbabwe
131
1348
10.1
3669
27.5
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