Full Breakdown
Global Road Deaths Fall Since 1990, but Low-Income Nations Lag Behind
7/21/2026, 6:59:16 AM
Global Decline and Persistent Gaps
A study released in *Lancet Public Health* on July 20, 2026 found that worldwide road-injury deaths fell by more than 30 % between 1990 and 2023. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported a 21 % drop in traffic deaths from 2011 to 2025, yet the WHO still estimates that over 1.1 million people died in road crashes in 2025. Crucially, the study notes that 90 % of those deaths occur in low-income countries, where safety measures have not kept pace with rapid urbanization and motor-vehicle growth.
U.S. Road Fatalities: Recent Downturn and Pedestrian Gains
In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recorded a peak of more than 43,000 motor-vehicle deaths in 2021. The agency estimates fatalities fell to about 36,600 in 2025, marking the first decline after a decade of increase. Pedestrian deaths also improved: drivers killed 7 % fewer pedestrians in 2025 than in 2024, the largest annual reduction since the trend began reversing three years earlier.
Study Insights and Expert Commentary
The research team, based at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, highlighted that high-income nations report higher injury rates per capita but account for only 10 % of total deaths. Liane Ong, the paper’s senior author, emphasized the systemic nature of the problem:
> “Road injury outcomes are shaped not only by crashes, but by the systems designed to prevent them and protect people when they occur.” — Liane Ong, senior author
U.S. officials have linked thousands of deaths each year to “distracted driving,” including phone use while driving.
International Response and Upcoming UN Meeting
The WHO has designated road safety a public-health priority for more than two decades. The study’s release coincides with a two-day United Nations high-level meeting on improving global road safety in New York City, where policymakers will discuss strategies to extend safety gains to low-income regions.
Conflicting Reports & Data Gaps
Complete traffic-fatality data remain unavailable for several countries, forcing researchers to rely on estimates. This limitation hampers precise assessment of progress in many low-income nations and underscores the need for improved global reporting mechanisms.
