 |
Highlights |
|
| |
|
Road accidents a big killer in South-East Asia
|
Road traffic accidents kill 33 people every hour in South-East Asia, according to a report released by the World Health Organization on the eve of the “World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims”. |
“Almost two-thirds of the people who die in road traffic crashes every year in this Region are motorcyclists, pedestrians and cyclists,” said Dr. Samlee Plianbangchang, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia. “While progress has been made towards protecting people in cars, the safety needs of these vulnerable groups of road users are not being met. We must do better if we are to halt or reverse the rise in road traffic injuries, disability and deaths”, he added. |
The number of road traffic injuries has been rising rapidly in South-East Asia. According to WHO’s Global Burden of Disease Study (2004 update), road traffic injuries were the tenth-leading cause of death in the Region, responsible for 2% of all mortality. The study also revealed that road traffic injuries were the leading cause of mortality due to injury, accounting for 18% of injury-related mortality. Moreover, in many countries, support services for road traffic victims are inadequate. These avoidable injuries also overload the already stretched health-care systems in many countries.
|
Funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the report, Status of Road Safety: the South-East Asia Region presents information from ten of WHO’s Member States in South-East Asia. The assessment found that almost 289 000 people died on the roads in the Region during 2007. To measure the improvement in road safety, accurate and valid information is crucial. The report found that under and incomplete reporting of deaths and injuries was a major constraint in assessing the road safety status in Member States. |
Only three countries in the Region have drink-driving laws that use a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) limit of less than or equal to 0.05g/dl, as recommended by WHO. Helmet laws exist in more than 90% of the countries in the Region but only 60% stipulate that helmets need to meet a specific safety standard. Only 30% have laws that require all car occupants to wear seat belts, while most do not have any law requiring the use of child restraints (e.g., child seats and booster seats). Where laws on these risk factors are in place, they are often inadequately enforced. The first hour after the accident is critical for the victim’s survival, making pre-hospital care between the accident spot and the hospital crucial. However, the report found that only 40% of the Member States in the South-East Asia Region have nationwide formal pre-hospital care systems. |
Appropriate land use planning and other measures could save hundreds of thousands of lives. Such measures include sidewalks, raised crossings and separate lanes for two-wheelers; investment in public transport; reducing drink-driving and speeding; increasing the use of helmets, including by women and children; use of seat belts and child restraints in cars, improving trauma care; and safe behaviour for pedestrians. |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
))
)){kind=link}