‘Road safety’ refers to the prevention of road crashes and securing road users from getting injured or killed. Road safety is important as millions of people are killed in road crashes every year. It is estimated that every year around 1.3 million people are killed and around 50 million people are injured in road accidents worldwide. These injuries and deaths can be prevented with road safety measures and efficient implication. Millions of lives can be saved with road safety measures. As road users, it is important for us to follow traffic rules and to drive responsibly and safely as it not only can injure us but other road users as well.
Traffic signs are the signs put up above roads or at the side to give information and instructions to the road users. There are many types of signs on the roads such as warning sign that are mostly in the triangle shape, Prohibitory signs, special regulation signs, information or service signs, Direction or indication signs, construction and work zone signs, school signs, bicycle signs and so on. The other guide signs include route marker signs, street name signs, welcome signs, expressway signs, freeway signs, information signs, recreational and cultural signs.
Road Safety Facts –
- Each day around 3000 people dies globally due to road crashes.
- Worldwide road crashes have become the chief cause of death for young people aged between 15-29 years.
- 91% of the global road disasters occur in underdeveloped and developing countries.
- Pedestrians, cyclists, and bikers account for 50% of the deaths globally on roads.
- Millions of people remain disabled and have to suffer for a lifetime due to road crashes.
- Without efficient road safety measures, it is estimated that by 2020 the road accidents may result in the death of around 1.9 million people yearly.
- The financial cost globally of road fatalities is approximately US$518 billion yearly.
Countries have simplified the traffic signs or mostly use pictorial signs to prevail over language barriers and improve safety on the roads based on global protocols. Traffic signs are for all road users. One needs to be educated about all the traffic signs and signals. If we want to be safe and responsible we need to follow the road safety signs and signals on the roads.
Road safety is also being promoted through media campaigns. Several other models and systems have been launched and implemented for road safety in our country.
