Largest Ever Donation for International Road Safety

A lot of people die in car crashes. Especially in countries where road safety is a shadow of what it is here in the old U S of A. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that car crashes kill 1.2 million people every year and injure some 50 million. By 2030, road accidents will probably be the fifth leading cause of death worldwide.

This is apparently a matter of some concern for New York City major Michael Bloomberg, a tremendous philanthropist, who donates his billions through his Bloomberg Philanthropies. He has chosen six organizations to receive a total of $125 million for programs that will reduce death and damage from road accidents in low-and middle-income countries, according to a press release from EMBARQ, one of the beneficiaries. This is the biggest single gift ever for international traffic safety.

The five-year program will target 10 countries that contend with high rates of traffic injuries and deaths. These 10 countries account for 48 percent of traffic deaths in the world. They include Brazil, China, India, Mexico and Russia, reports the Wall Street Journal.

Etienne Krug, the WHO's director of violence and injury prevention and disability, was thrilled with the news. "It will finally put road safety on the same level with other leading causes of death," she told the Journal.  "It will allow us to set up large prevention programs."

Give that the green light!

Photo courtesy of Liz Highleyman, via Flickr