UN Marks Road Victims Day With 1.16 Million Deaths
Secretary-General António Guterres issued a message as the world observes road traffic victims on 15 November.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Car Types
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a message for the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, observed on 15 November. Road crashes killed 1.16 million people last year, and the road traffic death rate has fallen by 21 per cent under the Decade of Action for Road Safety.
Why it matters
Road crashes are the leading cause of death for children and young people aged 5 to 29, and over 90 per cent of fatalities occur in low- and middle-income countries. Stronger policies and better enforcement are still needed to reduce deaths further.
Road crashes killed 1.16 million people last year, with over 90 per cent of fatalities occurring in low- and middle-income countries. The road traffic death rate has fallen by 21 per cent, though the extraction does not give a baseline year for that decline.
The players
António Guterres
Guterres is the Secretary-General of the United Nations, serving since 2017 and previously the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
United Nations
The United Nations is the intergovernmental organization that operates the Road Safety Conventions, the UN Road Safety Fund, and the Special Envoy for Road Safety.
The details
The Decade of Action for Road Safety targets halving road deaths and injuries by 2030. Road traffic deaths are reduced by improving infrastructure, changing behaviours, strengthening victim support, and harnessing new technologies, with UN support through Road Safety Conventions, the UN Road Safety Fund, and a Special Envoy for Road Safety.
Timeline
15 November: World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is observed.
2030: Target date to halve road deaths and injuries.
Roadmap
The 21 per cent fall in the road traffic death rate is measured against the Decade of Action for Road Safety, which targets halving road deaths and injuries by 2030. Whether the decline reaches that target depends on the stronger policies and enforcement the UN says are still needed.
Road crashes are the leading cause of death for young people aged 5 to 29, so vehicle choice and driving habits carry direct personal risk. Drivers and families can reduce that risk by following road safety rules and choosing vehicles with strong safety features.
The takeaway
Road deaths have fallen by a fifth, but most fatalities still occur in lower-income countries where protection is weakest. Continued investment in infrastructure, enforcement, and victim support will decide whether the 2030 target is reached.
What happens next
The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is observed on 15 November, with the Decade of Action target year of 2030 following.
Further reading
For more on vehicle categories and their safety records, see Car Types.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Un.
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