Uploaded December 2019 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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World worst road traffic safety ranking: which country does worst in Road Safety? Here we compare worst driving countries and worst road traffic safety system in the world using traffic-related death rate from 1994~2017.

The traffic-related death rate shows the annual number of road fatalities per capita per year, per number of motor vehicles, and per vehicle-km in some countries in the year the data was collected.
We used traffic-related death rate using annual road fatalities per capita.

More than half of all road traffic deaths are among vulnerable road users: pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.
Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 years

Every year the lives of approximately 1.35 million people are cut short as a result of a road traffic crash. Between 20 and 50 million more people suffer non-fatal injuries, with many incurring a disability as a result of their injury.

More than 90% of road traffic deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Road traffic injury death rates are highest in the African region. Even within high-income countries, people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to be involved in road traffic crashes.
Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 years.
From a young age, males are more likely to be involved in road traffic crashes than females. About three quarters (73%) of all road traffic deaths occur among young males under the age of 25 years who are almost 3 times as likely to be killed in a road traffic crash as young females.

The cause of traffic related death is as follow:
1. The Safe System approach: accommodating human error
The Safe System approach to road safety aims to ensure a safe transport system for all road users. Such an approach takes into account people’s vulnerability to serious injuries in road traffic crashes and recognizes that the system should be designed to be forgiving of human error. The cornerstones of this approach are safe roads and roadsides, safe speeds, safe vehicles, and safe road users, all of which must be addressed in order to eliminate fatal crashes and reduce serious injuries.
2. Speeding :The death risk for pedestrians hit by car fronts rises rapidly (4.5 times from 50 km/h to 65 km/h). In car-to-car side impacts the fatality risk for car occupants is 85% at 65 km/h.
3. Driving under the influence of alcohol and other psychoactive substances
4. Nonuse of motorcycle helmets, seat-belts, and child restraints
5. Distracted driving
6. Unsafe road infrastructure
7. Unsafe vehicles
8. Inadequate post-crash care
9. Inadequate law enforcement of traffic laws

WHO insists that Road traffic injuries can be prevented.
-Governments need to take action to address road safety in a holistic manner. This requires involvement from multiple sectors such as transport, police, health, education, and actions that address the safety of roads, vehicles, and road users.
Effective interventions include designing safer infrastructure and incorporating road safety features into land-use and transport planning, improving the safety features of vehicles, improving post-crash care for victims of road crashes, setting and enforcing laws relating to key risks, and raising public awareness.