LONDON -- In successive surveys, the Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll has consistently revealed that respondents worldwide identify traffic accidents as their primary safety apprehension. This global, nationally representative study uniquely quantifies anxieties and injuries related to safety threats. The poll, which encompasses nearly 147,000 interviews conducted by Gallup across 142 countries and territories in 2023, includes regions with limited official safety and risk data. During 2023, 16% of global adults indicated road mishaps as their gravest personal risk; this surpasses the percentages citing crime and violence (13%) and personal health issues (11%). This statistic aligns closely with previous years, showing 16% in 2019 and 13% in 2021. Global perceptions of road accident risk exhibit considerable variation. Residents of high-income nations are more than twice as prone to cite traffic collisions as their foremost safety risk than their counterparts in low-income countries (21% versus 9%), despite facing statistically lower road fatality rates. The World Health Organization posits a road traffic death rate of 28.3 per 100,000 individuals in low-income areas – over three times that of high-income countries (8.4 per 100,000).
The World Risk Poll also directly assesses anxiety levels concerning seven specific hazards. Again, vehicular incidents are prominent. More than three-quarters of global adults (76%) report significant or moderate apprehension about road accident injuries – exceeding anxieties expressed regarding severe weather, violent crime, food safety, mental health, employment, or potable water access. Worldwide concern about serious road injuries has substantially escalated since 2021, when 71% expressed such worry. Concurrently with this heightened concern, a greater number of individuals have encountered serious road injuries. Globally, 15% report experiencing serious injuries in the past two years, with an additional 25% knowing someone affected. Both figures slightly surpass 2021 levels (13% and 20%, respectively).
Analyzing public perceptions of road risk alongside injury experiences provides valuable insight into the complexity of risk assessment. These two factors do not always correlate. Among those reporting no road injuries within the past two years, 14% cite traffic collisions as their primary safety concern. This percentage increases to 18% among those acquainted with someone injured on the road (but personally unharmed). Individuals who have experienced serious injuries themselves are most likely to identify traffic accidents as their leading safety threat (25%). However, those most exposed to road harm – individuals experiencing injury and having a known injured acquaintance – are considerably less likely to list traffic collisions as their foremost daily life risk (14%) than individuals with either firsthand or secondhand experience. Moreover, the most exposed are equally likely as the least exposed to cite road accidents as their main risk. This suggests a form of risk desensitization amongst the most exposed – an acceptance of traffic accidents as an unavoidable aspect of high-risk environments, potentially undermining safety initiatives. Reduced apprehension about road accidents in high-risk environments may lead to decreased safety measures, potentially contributing to future injuries.
Global conditions have undergone significant transformation in recent years. Despite this, public attitudes toward everyday risks have remained remarkably consistent. Similar to 2021 and 2019, road accidents persist as the most widely perceived safety hazard. The World Risk Poll also highlights the frequent disconnect between public perception and injury experience, notably within high-risk road environments. A deeper understanding of these disparities between perception and reality is vital for crafting effective policies and designing safer roadways for all in the future. Read more about What the World Worries About: Global Perceptions and Experiences of Risk and Harm.