Blog Posts: road safety

This episode of WRI’s “Big Ideas Into Action” podcast examines why and how to make roads safer.

Road safety is a worldwide epidemic. WRI's Claudia Adriazola-Steil (director, health & road safety) and Amit Bhatt (director, integrated urban transport, WRI India) talk with our host, VP for Communications Lawrence MacDonald, about a life-saving new law in India.

Nearly 150,000 people lost their lives on Indian roads in 2018. The Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill, recently approved by India's parliament, aims to make streets safer for both drivers and pedestrians.

While dozens of cities have taken the "Vision Zero" pledge to end traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries, many are struggling to make progress. Evidence from London, Bogota and other cities reveals three ways to redesign streets to save lives.

Looking at four studies of scooter safety, it's clear that one factor outside riders' control needs to be studied more: road design.

A public health campaign in the Colombian capital included road safety as one of its goals. A new WRI report tracks the results and examines the implications for other cities.

Fewer than 3 people per 100,000 are killed in road crashes in Sweden every year, less than almost anywhere else in the world. It's 11 per 100,000 in countries like India and the United States. One reason for the difference is a novel approach called "Safe System."

Roughly 3,400 people die in traffic crashes every day. Lowering driving speeds—through smart city design, information campaigns and more—can help.

Reducing driving speeds won't just save lives. It can create healthier and more economically vibrant cities.

In honor of U.N. Global Road Safety week, renowned architect Jan Gehl and director of WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities Ani Dasgupta explore ways cities can prioritize moving people over moving cars.