Road safety is a public health and sustainable development priority. Each year, thousands of people in the Region of the Americas die or suffer serious injuries as a result of road traffic crashes, many of them preventable.
PAHO works with countries to strengthen institutional management, improve legislation, promote safe behaviors, and protect the most vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. These efforts are guided by evidence-based policies and the Safe System approach to create safer, fairer, and more inclusive roads and save lives on the move.
In 2021, an estimated 145,090 people died as a result of road traffic crashes, representing 12% of all global road deaths.
The mortality rate from road traffic crashes in 2021 was 14.09 per 100,000 population.
Nine countries achieved reductions in road traffic deaths between 2010 and 2021.
From 2009 to 2021, deaths among motorcyclists, pedestrians, and cyclists increased from 39% to 47% of all road traffic fatalities.
Twenty countries report having a national road safety strategy, but only five have full funding for its implementation.
Most countries do not yet conduct systematic road safety audits or assessments to ensure the protection of all road users.
Progress has been made in road safety legislation; however, most laws still need to be aligned with international best-practice standards.
The United Nations General Assembly, through Resolution A/RES/74/299 (2020) “Improving Global Road Safety”, mandated the development of a plan for the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030, with the ambitious goal of reducing road traffic deaths and serious injuries by 50% within ten years.
In response to this mandate, a broad global consultation process was carried out, involving national authorities from all Member States, technical experts, and civil society organizations.
This process culminated in the launch of the Global Plan for the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030. The Global Plan underscores the need to promote a Safe System approach, which recognizes that humans make mistakes and that the road transport system must be designed so that such errors do not result in deaths or serious injuries. It also highlights the importance of strengthening institutional management, improving road infrastructure, ensuring safe vehicles, and enhancing post-crash response, in line with the Decade’s main pillars.
This strategic framework guides actions in the Region of the Americas, fostering multisectoral collaboration and the exchange of good practices to achieve the shared goal of saving lives on the roads.
PAHO works with countries in the Region of the Americas to:
Promote policies and actions based on the Safe System approach to reduce deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes.
Strengthen the generation and use of road safety data to inform decision-making and monitor progress.
Support the improvement of laws and regulations addressing key risk factors, in line with international best practices.
Foster multisectoral coordination and the implementation of national road safety strategies integrated into health and sustainable development policies.
Contribute to achieving the objectives of the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030, which seeks to reduce road traffic deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030.
