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Road Safety

Over 90% of the world’s fatalities on the roads occur in low-income and middle-income countries, which have less than half of the world’s vehicles.

Why It Matters

  • 1.19m people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes.
  • 50m people are injured each year as a result of road traffic crashes.

Our Current Focus

Each year, road traffic crashes kill approximately 1.19 million people and injure up to 50 million more around the world. More than 90% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, and the vast majority of them are preventable.

Vital Strategies is an implementing partner of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), a consortium carrying out proven road safety interventions in 15 countries and up to 30 cities around the world. The initiative’s comprehensive, evidence-based approach includes: strengthening legislation; improving key risky road behaviors with a focus on speeding; promoting infrastructure improvements and sustainable urban transportation; and advocating for improved vehicle safety standards. From 2007-2018, the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety has saved an estimated 312,000 lives on the world’s roads. The third phase of BIGRS, 2020-2025, is committed to increasing this number to 600,000 lives saved and preventing up to 22 million injuries in low- and middle-income countries around the world.

Vital Strategies has a strong team of embedded staff in local governments around the world and has three main roles in the initiative. We use our expertise to strengthen road crash surveillance systems, and then we use outcome data to inform policy and action. We guide the creation of strategic communication and mass media campaigns to change road user behavior. Finally, we serve as the main liaison between the initiative’s multiple global partners, governments, and city agencies to align efforts in infrastructure, enforcement, communication and surveillance.

Every person around the world deserves access to safe streets. By employing a comprehensive approach, we are working with governments and communities to end preventable deaths on the road.

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