Nearly 12 Lakh Road Fatalities In 2021: Global NCAP

Some interesting data regarding road safety has emerged from the NCAP 24 World Congress in Munich. There were around 11.9 lakh fatalities worldwide in 2021, and more than 6.71 lakh fatalities in G20 countries, as per new data shared by the Towards Zero Foundation.  

Of these, India recorded more than 2.16 lakh fatalities in 2021, only second to China which saw more than 2.48 lakh people lose their lives in road accidents. India and China comprised 69 per cent of the total fatalities in G20 countries and nearly 40 per cent of the total fatalities in the world in 2021. After India, Brazil recorded the highest number of fatalities but at 33,586, it is way behind India’s number. 

Jessica Truong, Secretary General, Towards Zero Foundation said, “G20 countries account for 56 per cent of global road fatalities and also 90 per cent of the global vehicle sales. They have the biggest potential to help accelerate vehicle safety to save lives.”

The discussion also highlighted that the total number of fatalities in G20 countries can breach the 2.2 crore mark annually. Furthermore, road injuries around the globe are estimated to cost $1.8 trillion (roughly ₹1,50,000 crore). 

Another important highlight revealed at the global safety summit was the amount spent on the prevention of road injuries. The study highlighted that for every $100 (roughly ₹8,300) that a road injury costs, only up to $3 (roughly ₹250) is spent on preventing it from happening in the future.