[Cm-roma] vittime del traffico

Copio-incollo un editoriale dalla rivista The Lancet. Sorry, in inglese.

The Lancet 2006; 367:1954

DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68855-7

The hidden epidemic of road-traffic injuries


This year, 1·2 million people will die as the result of road-traffic
accidents—accounting for 2% of deaths worldwide—and 50 million will be
injured or disabled. As pointed out in a report by the Commission for
Global Road Safety, released on June 8, the vast majority of this
carnage (85%) will occur on the increasingly crowded streets, roads, and
highways of the developing world. And, as these nations develop, there
will be more traffic and more deaths. Indeed, without a major effort to
reduce road-traffic accidents, traffic-related fatalities are expected
to rise by 60% worldwide between 2000 and 2020. The increase will be
driven by an 80% rise in the deaths in low and middle-income countries.
Traffic deaths in high-income countries are actually projected to fall
by 30%.

Given the impact of traffic accidents on the developing world, it is
surprising that so little attention is being given to the problem. Road
safety issues are not mentioned in the Millennium Development Goals nor
are they addressed in UN and G8 programmes for sustainable development.
According to the Commission's estimate, the annual bilateral grant aid
explicitly for road safety to middle and low income countries is
currently less than $US10 million a year.

There is no good reason why this hidden epidemic is ignored. High-income
countries have shown that it is possible to improve road safety
dramatically, having cut road traffic injuries by 50% since they peaked
in the 1970s. Some policies shown to work in high-income countries are
readily adaptable to lower-income nations. Interventions such as the
enforcement of helmets, seat belts, and speed regulations are
surprisingly cost-effective. Others, such as building safety into road
design and vehicles, will require more resources and time.

Although there are few quick fixes for traffic safety, as the report
notes, the way forward is clear. It is time that the problem of road
safety in the developing world is given the attention it deserves.