Protecting Young Lives
Protecting Young Lives: Global Status Report on Child and Adolescent Road Safety highlights the critical issue of road traffic crashes as a leading cause of death and injury among children and adolescents worldwide. Annually, an estimated 181,453 children aged 0–19 years die from road traffic injuries, with more than 90 per cent of the burden affecting low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). These injuries result in immense suffering and impose a substantial societal cost on affected communities, limiting the educational and economic potential of young people. This report presents the status of child and adolescent injuries using the latest available data and underscores the unique vulnerabilities of young road users, identifies policy gaps, and presents evidence-based solutions.
This report aims to:
- Assess the global status of child and adolescent road safety, providing an overview of the child and adolescent road injury burden and identifying gaps in actions needed to advance road safety.
- Highlight risk factors that make young road users particularly susceptible to traffic-related injuries, such as high-speed environments, lack of protection for vulnerable road users (pedestrian, two-wheeler passengers/riders), and inadequate child restraint use.
- Recommend policy options within a Safe System Approach that covers all aspects of the system. This framework promotes a system-wide change, emphasizing shared responsibility and minimizing crash impact forces.
This report is intended for policymakers, practitioners, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and global advocates, providing them with the knowledge and tools to prioritize and improve child and adolescent road safety. The report emphasizes the imperative of protecting our youngest and most vulnerable road users and calls for coordinated global efforts to create safer and healthier roads, environments and mobility for children and adolescents.
By implementing the strategies outlined in this report, we can make significant strides toward achieving SDGs related to road safety and ultimately save lives. We aim to amplify the voices of youth, who are often unheard an unheeded in the design and implementation of road safety policies.