The Global Burden of Road Injury: Its Relevance to the Emergency Physician

Table 2

Key points for global road traffic injury prevention (WHO, 2004) [5].

Road crash injury is largely preventable and predictable; it is a human-made problem amenable to rational analysis and countermeasure
Road safety is a multisectorial issue and a public health issue—all sectors, including health, need to be fully engaged in responsibility, activity, and advocacy for road crash injury prevention
Common driving errors and common pedestrian behavior should not lead to death and serious injury—the traffic system should help users to cope with increasingly demanding conditions
The vulnerability of the human body should be a limiting design parameter for the traffic system and speed management is central
Road crash injury is a social equity issue—equal protection to all road users should be targeted for since nonmotor vehicle users bear a disproportionate share of road injury and risk
Technology transfer from high-income to low-income countries needs to fit local conditions and should address research-based local needs
Local knowledge needs to inform the implementation of local solutions