Preventing road traffic injury: a public health perspective for Europe (2004)

By Francesca Racioppi, Lars Eriksson, Claes Tingvall and Andres Villaveces
2004, 97 pages
ISBN 92 890 1093 2

Road traffic injuries in the WHO European Region are a major public health problem. They kill about 127 000 people and injure some 2.4 million every year. This publication was prepared for World Health Day 2004 to raise awareness among the general public and enhance commitment among policy-makers to take immediate action to prevent road traffic injury. It builds on and complements the World report on road traffic injury prevention, analysing in depth the burden of disease from road traffic injury in the European Region. It calls for a multisectoral and evidence-based approach to preventing road traffic injuries, with public health playing an important role, emphasizes the importance of a strong political commitment at all levels of government and makes recommendations for action.