LISTENING to the BBC World Service last Sunday, I was interested to learn that the World Health Organisation has declared 2004 Road Safety Year.
UK statistics for death and injury on the roads are well documented; probably less known are the worldwide figures. The following figures are published by the WHO:
Annual road deaths worldwide are around 2.3 million (injuries around 12 million)
75 per cent of drivers both professional and private are men
75 per cent of victims are non-motorist road users; mostly women and children
Worldwide most drivers have not taken or passed a driving test.
In post-Taliban Afghanistan, car use has increased exponentially with a quantum increase in road deaths and injuries.
I wonder what world leaders would do if this carnage was caused by anything other than a motor vehicle.
Graham Horne,
Beech Avenue,
Updated: 11:17 Wednesday, April 21, 2004
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