Some time ago we were wondering if we did our best to save children from traffic accidents and that is that road safety is an important issue in which parents intervene, but also the authorities that have to legislate, build good infrastructure ...
The World Health Organization reminds us that every year about 1.3 million people die in their Report on the world situation of road safety, with ten data that we list below. An assessment of the road safety situation in 178 countries whose results show that road traffic injuries are a major health problem and are expected to be even more so in the future.
Some data refer to actions that we as parents and responsible drivers can do to reduce risks, such as wearing helmets or child restraint systems in children. Issues to consider in any environment.
90% of road deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, to which only 48% of the global fleet of registered vehicles corresponds.
Approximately 46% of people who die in the world as a result of traffic accidents are pedestrians, cyclists and drivers or passengers of two-wheeled motor vehicles (collectively referred to as "vulnerable users of public roads"). This proportion is higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries.
Speed control It is an important instrument to reduce road traffic injuries, especially among pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. Less than a third of the countries have adopted the required measures (for example, the creation of reduced speed zones) to reduce the speed on urban roads.
Driving under the influence of alcohol increases the risk of an accident and also the chances of death or serious trauma. WHO recommends that the maximum alcohol level limit be set at 0.05 grams per deciliter (g / dl) for adult drivers, a standard that has now been implemented in less than half of the countries.
The use of a good quality helmet can reduce the chances of dying as a result of a traffic accident by almost 40% and the risk of serious trauma by more than 70%. Only 40% of countries have laws on the use of the helmet applicable to both drivers and passengers and require strict quality standards for these devices.
Fasten your seat belt reduces the risk of death among passengers in the front seats by 40% -65% and can reduce the number of deaths among occupants of the rear seats by 25% -75%. Only 57% of countries require the use of a seat belt in both front and rear seats.
In the event of an accident, the use of restraint devices for children (chairs for infants or children, and elevators) can reduce the number of infant deaths between 54% and 80%. Less than half of the countries have laws that require the use of such devices in vehicles.
The rapid dispensing of quality prehospital care can save the lives of many traffic accident victims. 76% of the countries have prehospital care systems, although these may be equipped with highly qualified personnel or, on the opposite end, depend on the intervention of those who are in the place of the accident. There are around 90 different phone numbers worldwide to call prehospital care services: they need to be unified.
Road traffic injuries can be prevented. Several countries, mostly belonging to the high-income group, have made significant progress in reducing the mortality rates attributable to this cause in recent decades. But there is still much to do in this area.
It is expected that road traffic injuries will become the fifth leading cause of death by 2030, with an annual death rate of 2.4 million people, due, on the one hand, to the increase in deaths due to traffic accidents and, on the other, to the decrease in deaths attributable to certain diseases.
It is possible that the worst figures are somewhat distant. But it is always good to remember these data on road safety in the world because the risks are found in any place, in our own cars if we do not use the SRI or the seat belt, in our bikes if we go without protection ... and in the example that we give to the children of responsible and safe driving.
