Number of road traffic deaths decreased by 11 %, injuries – increased by 7% in Georgia,  in 2018

The number of deaths caused by traffic accidents have decreased by 11% in 2018 compared to 2017, while the number of car accidents increased by 6% and the number of injured citizens – by 7%, it was announced at the opening of the Fifth United Nations Global Road Safety.

The event was organized by the National Center for Disease Control and Public Health under the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia. The Fifth United Nations Global Road Safety was held with the support of the World Health Organization and in partnership with the NGO “Georgia's Alliance for Safe Roads”.

According to information, provided by various agencies, about 500 people are killed and over 9 000- are injured in road accidents in Georgia annually.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia said that a total of 6 452 road accidents occurred in Georgian in 2018, which killed 459 and injured 9 047 persons.

As for Tbilisi, traffic accidents increased by 7%, the number of injuries – by 7 % and deaths – by 4 %.

As for the number of traffic accidents worldwide, approximately 1.35 million people die and 50 million more people suffer non-fatal injuries each year as a result of road traffic crashes. Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 5-29 years.

“Speakup to save lives “ is the slogan of Fifth United Nations Global Road Safety. The theme is - "Leadership for Road Safety", which means that the most effective leaders, who hail from all sectors of society, are those who speakup for road safety and take action and it’s important to recognize that each individual can be a leader for road safety.