Road deaths are declining in the United States and around the world, but low-income countries are not seeing much of that improvement, according to a study published on Monday.
According to a study published in Lancet Public Health, global rates of injuries and deaths from traffic accidents decreased by more than 30% between 1990 and 2023, although the study noted that progress varied from one country to another.
Pedestrian and vehicle occupant deaths increased during that period in six countries, including the United States. However, more recent data show that road deaths decreased in the U.S. in 2024 and 2025.
The World Health Organization (WHO) published its own figures on Monday, according to which deaths from traffic accidents decreased by 21% between 2011 and 2025. However, traffic accidents still claimed more than 1.1 million lives last year and remain the leading cause of death among children and young people aged 5 to 29, according to the WHO.
Fatal traffic accidents include fatal injuries suffered by pedestrians, cyclists, and people traveling in cars, trucks, and other vehicles. In some countries, the information is incomplete, so the researchers responsible for the new report made estimates based on the available data.
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In many low-income countries, safety measures have not kept pace with the rapid growth of cities or the use of motor vehicles. For example, the mandatory use of seat belts is more common in high-income countries, as are car safety features such as airbags.
“The consequences of traffic accidents do not only depend on the accidents themselves, but also on the systems designed to prevent them and protect people when they occur,” stated Liane Ong, lead author of the new study, in a statement.
However, contradictory trends have been observed in the United States, such as the proliferation of taller and larger passenger vehicles, the authors wrote. U.S. authorities have also stated that thousands of annual deaths can be attributed to distracted driving, including the use of mobile phones by drivers.
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In the United States, traffic accident deaths increased over the last decade and reached a peak of more than 43,000 in 2021 before beginning to decline, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The agency estimated that the figure dropped to about 36,600 last year.
Meanwhile, the Governors Highway Safety Association recently reported that U.S. drivers struck and killed 7% fewer pedestrians on U.S. roads in 2025 compared to the previous year. It was the largest annual reduction since pedestrian deaths began to decline three years ago, but it was still higher than pre-COVID-19 pandemic figures.
The WHO identified road safety as an international public health priority more than two decades ago. The publication of The Lancet report coincides with the start of a two-day United Nations high-level meeting on improving global road safety, which is being held in New York City.
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