Project Syndicate: Reducing Speed to Save Lives
Margaret Chan, director general of the WHO, and Michael Bloomberg, WHO’s global ambassador for noncommunicable diseases

“We can save so many lives around the world if we just slow down. Each year, more than 1.25 million people — many of them young people — die in automobile crashes. And a large proportion of these deaths are preventable: about one-third are due to vehicles traveling at excessive speeds. In low- and middle-income countries, that figure is closer to half. Regardless of where one lives, speeding is a lethal problem. … Improving road safety is one of the biggest opportunities we have to save lives around the world. And the good news is … we already know how to do it. … Over the course of [the United Nations Global Road Safety Week, which takes place from May 8-14], community events are being held in cities around the world, to help raise awareness of the problem and advance more solutions. … All of these events and initiatives will bring together local and national leaders in government, civil society, business, law enforcement, and other sectors. … A world in which far fewer lives are lost to automobile accidents is possible and entirely within our reach. It is up to all of us to make it a reality” (5/9).