WHO Leads Asia Vehicle Safety Push to Cut Road Deaths Through UN Standards

Each year, nearly 1.2 million people worldwide die in road crashes, making road injuries one of the leading causes of death, particularly among young people.

The World Health Organization (WHO), together with key international and regional partners, has convened more than 40 senior transport and safety officials from 14 countries to accelerate global efforts to make vehicles safer, with a strong focus on Asia. This high-level collaboration aims to strengthen vehicle safety regulations and reduce the global toll of road traffic crashes.

Each year, nearly 1.2 million people worldwide die in road crashes, making road injuries one of the leading causes of death, particularly among young people. Despite the scale of the problem, fewer than 20% of United Nations Member States have vehicle safety laws that meet all core UN safety standards, leaving millions of road users exposed to preventable risks.

Among ASEAN countries, the problem is especially urgent. Weak import controls, limited regulatory enforcement, and gaps in safety legislation mean that outdated and unsafe vehicles continue to dominate national markets. This situation is compounded by the rapid growth of vehicle ownership across the region, increasing exposure to serious and fatal crashes each year.

Dr Fangfang Luo, WHO Technical Officer on Safety and Mobility, warned that the global vehicle fleet — currently more than one billion vehicles — is expected to double by 2030. She emphasized that adopting and harmonizing UN vehicle safety regulations is critical to saving lives, reducing serious injuries, and ensuring that new vehicle technologies are deployed safely and effectively.

The third ASEAN+China Road Safety Capacity Building Workshop, held in Shenzhen, China, from 25–27 November, was a major step forward. It built on the Marrakech Declaration on Global Road Safety, adopted by ministers from nearly 100 countries in February 2025. The Declaration calls for stronger national vehicle safety legislation aligned with UN regulations to ensure that all new vehicles meet minimum safety standards and better protect both vehicle occupants and vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.

The three-day workshop focused on four critical areas:

• Priority vehicle safety equipment regulations and effective implementation

• Technical vehicle inspection systems and compliance frameworks

• The role of New Car Assessment Programmes (NCAP) in improving consumer awareness and manufacturer accountability

• Emerging vehicle technologies with strong potential to prevent crashes and reduce injury severity

A key highlight was the focus on smart infrastructure and AI-driven safety systems, including real-time crash prevention technologies, vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) connectivity, and automated monitoring systems. These innovations are seen as essential tools for accident prevention in fast-growing urban environments.

Participants jointly developed a comprehensive action plan that includes:

• Specialized seminars on crash investigation, with a strong focus on motorcycle-related deaths and injuries

• Joint regional public education campaigns on road safety

• Systematic evaluations of new automotive safety technologies

• Research and pilot testing of automated and connected vehicles

A follow-up regional workshop is scheduled for late 2026 to review progress and strengthen cooperation.

The workshop was hosted by the WHO in collaboration with UNECE, CITA, Global NCAP, CATARC, and MIROS, reflecting a strong multi-agency commitment to improving vehicle safety standards and protecting lives across Asia and globally.