If road safety were just about wearing seat belts and helmets and not driving while drunk, there wouldn’t be so many road accidents. Worldwide, over a million people die on the roads every year and another ten million are injured.
The costs consist not only of human lives and the grief and suffering of those affected, but also of the collective economic and social impacts on society.
Hong Kong appears to be on the right track, with fatal and serious traffic accidents down 42 percent compared to the first half of this year and the same period in 2023.
But given that 392 such incidents are still being recorded, or about 65 cases per month, this is hardly a relief.
The sharp increase in the number of fatal bicycle accidents is worrying. The seven deaths in the first half of this year already exceed the six cases from last year.
In four out of seven cases, the riders lost control of their bicycles, in three of these cases they were on a downhill slope.
The remaining three accidents involved collisions with trucks and private vehicles. According to police, six victims were not wearing helmets or protective equipment.
Police stated that some cyclists viewed cycling as a recreational activity or a simple means of transport, without sufficiently considering their own abilities or the importance of wearing a helmet, as this is not currently a legal requirement.
Others simply lack road safety knowledge and may not be aware of the danger of entering the blind spot of drivers of large vehicles.
According to the United Nations Road Safety Report 2023, the number of road deaths has fallen by five percent since 2010, to 1.19 million annually.
But poor policies and education mean that many road users remain at risk. Globally, the number of cyclist deaths has increased by almost 20% over the past decade, to 71,000, representing 6% of all road deaths.
Studies have shown that 80 percent of roads worldwide do not meet pedestrian safety standards and only 0.2 percent have cycle lanes, putting cyclists and other vulnerable road users in a dangerous situation.
In addition to education and promotion, a more holistic review of road design, safety standards and laws is needed.
