Need to move from dangerous streets for cars to safe spaces for people: WHO

The governments and various stakeholders need to rethink mobility as there is an urgent need to move from the dirty and dangerous streets for cars to safe, green and vibrant spaces designed for the people, WHO's Head of Safety and Mobility, Nhan Tran, said on Monday.

Road accidents kill more than 1.3 million people each year - more than two every minute - with 9 in 10 of these preventable deaths occurring in low-and middle-income countries. Road crashes are the leading global killer of children and youth aged 5-29.

We must urgently move from an old model of drab, dirty and dangerous streets built for cars, to safe, green and vibrant spaces designed and built for people. Mobility underpins so many other aspects of public health and development. By making walking and cycling safe, we can reduce air pollution and fight climate change," Tran said at the Vision Zero Conference on Road Safety here in the Swedish capital.

By prioritising the safety of vulnerable road users like pedestrians