Despite the addition of more than one billion motor vehicles to the world’s roads, the global rate of road traffic deaths declined by 21 per cent between 2011 and 2025, according to new data released by the World Health Organization (WHO).The world has experienced profound changes in road traffic during this time, with the emergence of new modes of transport and a sharp rise in motorcycle use. At the same time, road traffic crashes claimed 1.16 million lives in 2025, it added. Road traffic injuries remain the leading cause of death among children and youth aged 5–29.The WHO data comes as global leaders adopt a new United Nations General Assembly progress declaration on road safety to boost global action to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of 50 per cent reduction in road deaths and serious injuries by 2030, compared with the levels in 2021.“This progress shows that change is possible when countries invest in safe road systems. In the last 15 years we’ve made real progress in reducing road deaths, despite surging vehicle numbers and major shifts in how people move,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.The new UN declaration includes a comprehensive set of commitments by UN member states to implement national road safety strategies with clear targets, timelines and budgets. These commitments include establishing lead road safety agencies, improving data collection and analysis, developing and enforcing stronger legislation, and ensuring that roads, infrastructure and vehicles meet key safety standards.The declaration commits countries to implement the proven ‘safe system’ approach, which recognises that people will always make mistakes on the road. The approach promotes safer roads, infrastructure, vehicles, speed limits and regulations that account for human error and ensure that crash impacts remain within survivable levels.With nearly 60 per cent of the world’s population now living in urban areas, the growing demand for mobility threatens to overwhelm transport systems that were largely designed around private motor vehicles. With the rise of ride-hailing and delivery apps, the number of motorcycles more than tripled between 2011 and 2025. Deaths among motorcyclists now account for nearly a third of the world’s road fatalities. Wearing a safe motorcycle helmet reduces the risk of death in a crash by more than six times. New forms of mobility, including e-scooters and autonomous vehicles, present both challenges and opportunities for transport planners and policymakers, it added.Published on July 27, 2026