Nearly 900 people die daily from road crashes in the Western Pacific region: WHO

Nearly 900 people are killed each day in road crashes in the Western Pacific region, with speeding being a major factor in up to half of fatal crashes in most low-and middle-income countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

The Manila-based WHO Western Pacific Region Headquarters said in a statement that approximately 337,000 people are killed each year as a result of road traffic crashes in the region, which includes 37 countries and areas in East Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania.

"69 percent of those dying on the region's roads are vulnerable road users like pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. Millions more suffer non-fatal injuries, with many incurring lifelong disability as a result of their injury,"the statement read.

WHO said road traffic injuries cause considerable economic losses to victims, their families and to nations, adding "these losses arise from the coast of treatment, including rehabilitation and incident investigation, as well as reduced or lost productivity for those killed or disabled by their injuries, and for family members who need to take time off work or school to care for the injured."

"Road traffic injuries cost some low-and middle-income countries as much as 5 percent of their gross national product," WHO said, noting the risk of dying from road traffic injuries is 2.5 times higher in low- and middle-income countries compared to high-income countries.

Injuries create a spiral of poverty, WHO said, adding they can leave people unable to work or care for themselves, draining family budgets and hopes for prosperity.

And one of the simplest ways to avoid road traffic crashes and the millions of deaths and injuries they cause is to slow down, WHO said, adding other preventive measures include avoiding drinking alcohol before driving, and wearing motorcycle helmets.

Increasingly crowded roadways make it even more imperative for people to slow down, WHO said, noting that the faster you drive, the higher the risk of a crash and the more severe the injuries that may occur.

Citing studies, WHO said reducing average traveling speeds by just 5 percent could reduce fatal road crashes by 30 percent.

"If every vehicle on every road slows down even a little, there could be fewer crashes - and certainly fewer serious injuries and deaths," said Shin Young-soo, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific.

WHO stressed the importance of raising awareness on the dangers of speeding. Every two years, WHO organizes United Nations Global Road Safety Week to reflect on the magnitude of road traffic injuries and the urgent need to scale up action to prevent road crashes.

The theme for 2017 U.N. Global Road Safety Week, to be held from May 8-14 in Sydney, Australia, is managing to keep roads safe for pedestrians and other road users. Endit