The World Health Organization (WHO) has invited Vietnam to share its findings on improving traffic safety at the main discussion sessions of the ongoing Fourth Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Morocco.

In response to the invitation from WHO and the Ministry of Transport and Logistics of the Kingdom of Morocco, a delegation from Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security is attending the conference in Marrakech, Morocco, scheduled for Tuesday to Thursday, according to the ministry’s Traffic Police Department.

This is the largest global conference on road safety, held every five years, and co-hosted by the WHO and the government of Morocco with the theme of ‘Commit to Life.’ It aims to accelerate action toward the Sustainable Development Goals target of halving global road deaths by 2030. 

The 2025 edition will gather approximately 1,500 delegates, including ministers, heads of national road safety agencies, officials from all levels, parliamentarians, experts from the United Nations, civil society, business, and academia.

The primary objective of the conference is to promote concrete actions to enhance global road safety, as traffic accidents claim nearly 1.2 million lives annually worldwide -- around 3,200 daily -- and are the leading cause of death in children and young adults aged 5-29. 

Vietnam is among the countries that have gained international recognition for its significant efforts in curbing and reducing traffic accidents in recent years. As a result, the WHO has expressed interest in having Vietnam share its insights and strategies for controlling and reducing traffic accidents during key discussions at the conference.

Vietnam's delegation has been scheduled to participate in discussions on Tuesday and Wednesday, including ministerial meetings, specialized sessions, and commitment meetings aimed at achieving the goals of the Decade of Action for Global Road Safety 2021-30.

According to the Traffic Police Department, 1,702 road traffic accidents occurred nationwide in January, resulting in 917 deaths and 1,163 injuries. 

In a year-on-year comparison, the number of accidents dropped by 26.29 percent, fatalities decreased by 1.72 percent, and injuries declined by 37.71 percent.

Compared to December 2024, the reductions were 18.25 percent in accidents, 9.83 percent in fatalities, and 20.12 percent in injuries.

The improvement was partly attributed to the enforcement of Government Decree 168, which went into effect on January 1, 2025.

The decree imposes stricter penalties on traffic violations to deter unsafe driving behavior and reduce traffic-related casualties.

During the recent nine-day Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday – from January 25 to February 2 – 442 road traffic accidents occurred across the country, causing 207 deaths and 372 injuries.

Compared to the same period last year, accidents, fatalities, and injuries significantly declined by approximately 36.76 percent, 37.46 percent, and 38.41 percent, respectively.

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