Skip to main content

Traffic accidents ‘number one worldwide cause of death among the young’

A new study released by the Allianz Center for Technology (AZT) found that traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for youths, regardless of a country’s economic well-being. Thirty-one percent of all traffic-related deaths in the world are youth and young adults aged between 15 and 29 years. This translates to more than 400,000 lives lost per year, which exceeds youth deaths caused by diseases, drug use, suicide, violence or war-related events. Whether a traffic-related death of a youth occurs i
October 31, 2014 Read time: 3 mins
A new study released by the 6027 Allianz Center for Technology (AZT) found that traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for youths, regardless of a country’s economic well-being. Thirty-one percent of all traffic-related deaths in the world are youth and young adults aged between 15 and 29 years. This translates to more than 400,000 lives lost per year, which exceeds youth deaths caused by diseases, drug use, suicide, violence or war-related events.

Whether a traffic-related death of a youth occurs in a low-, middle- or high-income country plays an insignificant role. According to AZT, youth traffic deaths vary only slightly between 31.5 per cent in low-income countries, 32.0 per cent in middle-income countries and 28.5 per cent in high-income countries.

Every year, nearly 1.3 million people die due to traffic accidents, and more than 50 million are injured, making road safety a major global issue. Per 100,000 inhabitants, 18 lose their lives in traffic accidents. This places traffic-related deaths eighth on the list of leading causes of death, according to the latest Global Status Report on Road Safety from the 1819 World Health Organisation (WHO). Recent developments, however, suggest that it will become the world's fifth-leading cause of death in 2030 if no appropriate countermeasures against traffic accidents are taken.

Germany is in the top five for lowest death rates in EU, with a road death rate of 4.7 per 100,000 inhabitants. That places Germany fifth among the 28 EU member states in deaths resulting from traffic accidents. Sweden has the lowest rate in the EU with 3.0 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, while Greece has the highest at 12.2 deaths. The highest death rates globally are found in the Dominican Republic (41.7), Thailand (38.1) and Venezuela (37.2). In the United States, the death rate is 11.4.

The AZT takes such numbers and forecasts seriously in its efforts to further road safety measures.

“For more than 40 years, AZT has taken an active role in the development of traffic safety, and through research and prevention campaigns aims to make roads safer for all,” says Christoph Lauterwasser, director of the AZT. “Whether we are dealing with distracted driving, pedestrian and cyclist safety, the safety issues and standards surrounding assistant driving systems and automated driving, or how to properly secure cargo in the car, AZT experts have always made important contributions to the automotive industry, traffic regulations and all other aspects of traffic safety.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • IRF takes politicians to task on road safety
    January 7, 2013
    The International Road Federation has issued a wake up call to government ministers, in the form of its Vienna Manifesto on ITS. Four years on from coming to a key decision on ITS, the International Road Federation (IRF) now faces a further question – how can it ensure its Vienna Manifesto on ITS achieves maximum impact? This is a challenge the organisation is not taking lightly. Issues the manifesto has been drawn up to address have become more acute in the time taken to publish it and are forecast to wors
  • Two wheels good
    June 25, 2018
    As cycling becomes an increasingly popular method for commuting and recreation, what moves are afoot to keep the growing numbers of cyclists safe on ever-more-busy roads? Alan Dron puts on his helmet and pedals off to look. It would have seemed incredible just a decade ago, but cycling in London has become almost unfeasibly popular. The Transport for London (TfL) June 2017 Strategic Cycling Analysis document noted there were now 670,000 cycle trips a day in the UK capital, an increase of 130% since 2000.
  • Airborne traffic monitoring - the future?
    March 1, 2013
    A new frontier in the quest to monitor road traffic is opening up… but using airborne drones to reduce the jams comes with some thorny issues. Chris Tindall reports. Imagine if you could rely on a system that provided all the data you needed to regulate traffic flow, route vehicles and respond swiftly to emergencies for a fraction of the cost of piloting a helicopter. That system exists, but as engineers and traffic managers start to explore the potential of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – more commonly k
  • ETSC presents road safety awards
    April 19, 2012
    The European Transport Safety Commission (ETSC) is giving awards to Lithuania and Sweden for the efforts these countries have made in improving road safety. The ETSC is monitoring progress in reaching the EU target of reducing road deaths by 50% between 2001 and 2010 under its Road Safety PIN Programme. And because Lithuania and Sweden have been so successful in improving road safety, ETSC handed its 2011 PIN Award to these countries. The Road Safety PIN Report 2011 was presented at the ETSC conference in B