Road accidents cause 1.3 million deaths and 20-50 million injuries annually. The UN has identified road accidents as an 'invisible' public health crisis because road safety is not often associated with health and well-being.

Pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists make up over 50% of all victims of road accidents.

Road accidents are a particularly big problem for young people and are the leading cause of death for young people aged 15-19 years and the second-leading cause of death for people aged 20-24 years.

Road accidents are largely preventable because the common causes for road accidents are avoidable: these include distracted driving, speeding, consumption of alcohol/other psychoactive substances, and non-use of seatbelts, helmets, and child restraints.