Road traffic injuries

Abstract

Road traffic injuries are a major source of death and injury worldwide, with 1.2 million people killed each year and estimated costs of $518 billion. Much of the burden is sustained by vulnerable road users in low- and middle-income countries and this is expected to increase, with road traffic injuries projected to become the second leading cause of death worldwide by 2020. Prevention of road traffic injuries is best managed by a systems approach, which addresses the behavioral, road-related, and vehicle-related factors that affect the number and severity of road-traffic-related injuries. © 2008 Copyright © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.