Road safety worldwide

Driving by car today is inevitable. Regardless of whether we are working at home or in a  neighbor city, we have a shop at hand or in another place, we always get to the situation when we need to use the car to reach a certain point. However, day-to-day migration comes with certain risks. More than a million people in the world die every year on the roads.

This information comes from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC adds that "road injuries are estimated to be the eighth most important cause of death worldwide," and that this is "the leading cause of death among young people between 15 and 29 years old." They point out that by 2030 road injuries could become the seventh leading cause of death worldwide.

Most traffic deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. However, not just poorer countries are those who are struck. Nowadays, accidents on the road increase predominantly due to aggressive acceleration and writing SMS messages while driving. The CDC says that numbers in America have risen dramatically from 2016 to 2017. The changes were greater than ever in the previous 50 years.

Countries with most traffic deaths in the year 2015:

Countries with least traffic deaths in the year 2015:

Some countries are aware of roadside hazards and have therefore taken certain measures. South Korea has analyzed dangerous road sections and completely refurbished and strengthened the protective fences. They also set up many more road bumps to regulate fast driving. They set up school zones that prohibit driving above 30 km / h. Non-governmental organizations educated participants in traffic how they can drive more safely and what to do if they detect a dangerous driver. From 1992 to 2014, South Korea reduced 60% of all road accidents with these measures.

Another exemplary country is Sweden, which set the target by 2020, to achieve zero deaths caused by a road accident. The project is called "Vision Zero." They set up several roundabouts, pedestrian overpasses, expand roads, protect crossings with markings, flashing lights, and speed bumps. The cyclists were separated from the rest of the traffic. The government exacerbated traffic penalties.

What can you do to increase road safety?
- Always use the seat belt on each seat. Even on very short trips.
- Make sure that seat belts are always correctly attached to children. Pay attention that the child's buckles are appropriate according to their age, height and weight.
- Do not drive after drinking alcohol or using drugs. Help others do the same. Also, do not drive with anyone who drank or took drugs.
- Drive at the prescribed speed.
- Drive without interruption. Do not use your mobile phone to send text messages while driving.
- Be careful when crossing the streets. If you are traveling to another country, get acquainted with their traffic laws.
- Only drive in legal taxis. Drive only with those who have seat belts.
- Avoid driving in overcrowded, excessive or heavy vehicles.
- Use a safe driving device that will alert you to the danger (Mobileye).