Road safety in numbers
There’s no doubt about it, road safety is one of the world’s biggest risks. Yet, there is a distinct degree of complacency around road crashes. Here, I draw attention to some of the most shocking statistics around road safety and explain why I am confident that 2025 will be the year we see a change in attitude about tackling this global crisis.
Let’s pay attention to road safety
Road safety doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Despite 1.19 million people being killed as a result of road crashes every year [i], road crashes historically have been considered somewhat inevitable. Thankfully, the perspective is changing and there is an increasing level of attention being paid to the fact that road crashes are preventable.
2025, in particular, seems to be a year of big change in terms of road safety. There is so much happening around the world to shine the spotlight on road crashes. And organizations are being held more accountable for their impact on the roads.
The role of organizations in tackling road safety
The importance of a strategic approach to road safety management within organizations is firmly in the spotlight. There are several key reasons for this:
- The United Nations General Assembly has set a target of halving the global number of deaths and injuries from road traffic crashes by 2030
- Around one in three road deaths involve someone driving for work purposes
- ESG reporting regulations require organizations to share road safety performance data, as well as sustainability data
There are many steps that organizations can take to significantly improve road safety, at the same time as fulfiling ESG reporting requirements.
How human error is the biggest contributor to road crashes
Research shows that around 94% of road crashes can be attributed to human error. This means that the actions of the driver are the primary cause of most crashes. So, how can organizations address this?
Typically, corporate driver safety programs include multiple elements such as driver training, risk assessments, safety policies, company culture, and – more recently – telematics or risk management solutions.
Today, developments in AI technology make it possible to further optimize safety programs by predicting crashes before they happen, rather than relying on historic data including predefined “driving events” that do not directly correspond with crash probability.
How can organizations step up for change now?
So many companies are already doing great things for road safety. But there’s more that can be achieved. Even for companies already using driver safety solutions, it’s possible to achieve further reductions in road crashes of around 20%. This is because AI risk intelligence into road safety uncovers new insights that give organizations greater control over driving risk so they can act sooner to prevent crashes.
AI risk intelligence into road safety delivers multiple benefits:
- Prediction of highest risk drivers most likely to crash in coming weeks
- Identification of factors contributing to risk level
- Prioritization of driver training to those who need it most
- Approximately 20% reduction in crashes
- Reduction of overall fleet risk level
To find out how your organization can integrate AI into its existing safety solutions for greater control over road safety, please get in touch.
