Despite the addition of more than one billion motor vehicles to the world’s roads, road traffic deaths declined by 21 per cent between 2011 and 2025, according to new data released by the World Health Organization.

A release, issued by WHO on Monday also read that the world has experienced profound changes in road traffic during this time with the emergence of new modes of transport and a sharp rise in motorcycle use.

Despite this progress, however, road traffic crashes still claimed 1.16 million people’s lives in 2025.

Road traffic injuries remain the leading cause of death among children and youth aged 5–29 years.

Across the world, 10 countries reduced road deaths by 50 per cent in the decade to 2021 and more than half of all countries reported falling fatalities in that period.

Yet progress is uneven, with 36 per cent drop in deaths in the WHO European Region, a 15 per cent drop in the Western Pacific Region, a 2 per cent drop in the WHO South-East Asian Region, no change in rates in the Americas and a 17 per cent rise in deaths in the WHO African Region.

The new WHO data came as global leaders on Monday adopt a new United Nations General Assembly progress declaration on road safety.

The declaration aims to boost global action to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of a 50 per cent reduction in road deaths and serious injuries by 2030 compared with the levels in 2021.

Speaking at the UN high-level meeting on Improving Global Road Safety, the road transport and bridges minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam on Monday has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reducing road traffic deaths and injuries by 50 percent by 2030, said a press release issued by the ministry on Tuesday.

‘This progress shows that change is possible when countries invest in safe road systems. In the last 15 years we’ve made real progress in reducing road deaths, despite surging vehicle numbers and major shifts in how people move,’ said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. ‘I commend countries for the strong political declaration they are adopting today, which aims to accelerate action to ensure more roads are designed for people first, not motor vehicles, with safety as priority. All road deaths are preventable and none are acceptable.’

Road minister Rabiul Alam also underlined Bangladesh’s ongoing legal, policy and technological reforms to improve road safety in line with the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030.

Along with these, he also highlighted the government’s efforts to expand AI-enabled speed management, strengthen post-crash response systems and implement targeted highway safety interventions, particularly for pedestrians.