The global status report on road safety published earlier this year by the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that approximately 1.24m people die every year on the world's roads and that 27% of all road traffic deaths are pedestrians and cyclists.

Five cycling deaths in nine days has put the safety of London's roads heavily into focus with coverage on cycling safety ranging from which vehicles are the most dangerous to cyclists to how cycling culture differs by country. The WHO report gives an interesting insight into how road safety differs by country and how cyclists fare in different parts of the world.

According to the road safety report only 68 countries have national or subnational policies to promote walking and cycling, and just 79 countries have policies that protect pedestrians and cyclists by separating them from motorized and high-speed traffic. WHO warned that although more should be done to encourage cyclists and pedestrians, "additional criteria" need to be put into place by policy-makers:

Encouraging children to walk to school without providing pavements or safe places to cross the road, or reducing the speed of traffic, could in fact lead to increased injuries. Promoting city cycling to reduce congestion cannot be encouraged if cyclists repeatedly find that their lanes cut across oncoming traffic. Measures to separate walkers and cyclists from other road users in conjunction with speed management interventions are particularly important if such policies are to be successful.

Countries attempting to encourage people to walk and cycle instead of using motorised transport but without the infrastructure policies to support this could "potentially increase risks for road traffic injuries" they insisted.

Vulnerable road users (cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists) make up half of all road traffic deaths in the world, according to the WHO, with the low-income countries recording the highest proportion of deaths among this group of road users.

The graphic above, from the report, shows road traffic deaths by type of road user in each of the WHO regions. It shows that cyclists account for 5% of all road traffic deaths in the world. The western Pacific is the WHO region with the highest proportion of cyclist fatalities as a proportion of all road traffic deaths. Cyclists account for 4% of Europe's road traffic deaths.

So what do the WHO recommend to reduce pedestrian and cyclist deaths? Some of the recommendations made in the report are below:

• Lowering urban speeds - "Setting speed limits according to the designated function of particular roads is an effective measure to reduce road traffic injuries." The WHO reports that countries which have adopted universal urban speed limits of 50km/h include Australia and Sweden - considered to be "leaders in road safety".

• Governments need to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists - "In planning road construction projects, there has been insufficient attention given to preventing the negative effects of motorisation from falling most heavily on these road users most at risk."

• Safer roads - "More needs to be done by governments to make their road infrastructures safer. Only 63 countries meet all three criteria specified here - that is, they carry out road safety inspections on all new road infrastructure projects as well as on existing road infrastructure projects, and they ensure that assessments are conducted by independent assessors"

• Make vehicles safer for non-car road users - They claim that since the 70s "crash engineers have known that, in addition to reducing vehicle speeds, changing the shape and stiffness of vehicle fronts would significantly reduce the severity of injuries sustained by pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists when hit by a vehicle."

The report sums up the recommendations by stating that "reducing road traffic deaths requires more consideration of the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists". The data below from the report shows the distribution of road deaths by the type of road user. The year covered by the data is also included.

The WHO has also created an interactive using the same data which shows the number of road traffic deaths and distribution by type of road user. The initial map shows the total number of road traffic deaths and when you click on an individual country, a chart is displayed showing how this breaks down by road user type.

What do you think could be done to make roads safer for vulnerable road users? Do you agree with the WHO's recommendations? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Distribution of road traffic deaths by type of road user (%) Source: WHO Country Year Drivers/passengers of 4-wheeled vehicles Drivers/passengers of motorized 2- or 3-wheelers Cyclists Pedestrians Other/unspecified road users Albania 2010 43.5 15.1 4.3 36.1 1.1 Andorra 2010 66.7 0 0 33.3 0 Argentina 2010 69.2 10.3 14.6 5.9 Armenia 2010 54.1 43.9 2 Australia 2010 67.9 16.4 2.9 12.8 0.1 Austria 2010 52.9 15.6 5.8 17.8 8 Azerbaijan 2010 62.6 0.7 36 0.8 Bahamas 2010 63.6 15.9 2.3 18.2 0 Bahrain 2010 44 1.3 10.7 38.7 5.3 Bangladesh 2009 23.6 15.8 2.8 40.8 17 Belarus 2010 42.3 6.9 9.4 40.6 0.8 Belgium 2009 53.9 17.2 9.2 10.9 8.8 Benin 2010 19.4 50.2 3.2 19 8.3 Bhutan 2010 60.8 2.5 0 5.1 31.7 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 2010 57.7 1.1 36.2 5 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2010 60.7 12.1 7.1 15.6 4.5 Botswana 2010 54.9 1.5 0.5 29.7 13.4 Brazil 2009 22.5 24.8 4.2 23.4 25.2 Bulgaria 2010 62.6 6.2 3.4 22.2 5.7 Cambodia 2010 11.8 66.6 4 12 5.7 Canada 2009 68.6 8.8 1.8 13.9 6.9 Chile 2010 35.8 5.3 9.1 39.3 10.5 China 2010 22.6 34.5 10.4 25 7.6 Colombia 2010 9.9 39.1 5.8 30.8 14.4 Comoros 2010 27.3 27.3 0 45.5 0 Cook Islands 2010 0 100 0 0 0 Costa Rica 2009 22.6 28.3 9.4 37 2.6 CÃ´te d'Ivoire 2009 41.8 4.4 2 40.1 11.7 Croatia 2010 48.1 16.4 6.6 24.7 4.2 Cuba 2010 17.5 13.1 12.5 34.8 22.1 Cyprus 2010 40 35 3.3 21.7 0 Czech Republic 2010 48.3 12 8.7 18.8 12.2 Democratic Republic of the Congo 2010 71 15 0 5 9 Denmark 2010 58.8 12.9 10.2 17.3 0.8 Dominica 2010 37.5 50 12.5 0 Dominican Republic 2010 13.8 57.8 24.6 3.8 Ecuador 2010 0.8 4.4 0.4 29.5 64.9 El Salvador 2010 15.8 5.3 4.8 61.5 12.7 Estonia 2010 56.4 9 11.5 16.7 6.4 Finland 2010 61.8 9.2 9.6 12.9 6.6 France 2010 56.7 23.9 3.7 12.2 3.6 Georgia 2010 0.3 25 74.7 Germany 2010 50.4 19.4 10.4 13.1 6.6 Ghana 2010 16.4 10.6 4.6 43 25.5 Greece 2009 46.4 30.6 1 14 8 Guatemala 2010 52.7 30 17.4 Guyana 2010 13 20 15.7 34.8 16.5 Honduras 2010 38.9 10.6 5.7 44.9 Hungary 2010 44.6 9.2 12.4 26 7.8 Iceland 2010 62.5 12.5 0 25 0 India 2010 15.5 32.4 4.6 8.7 38.7 Indonesia 2010 6.1 35.7 1.7 21.1 35.4 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 2010 47.5 22.9 28.6 1.1 Ireland 2010 67.5 8 1.4 19.3 3.8 Israel 2010 42.3 12.2 5.1 33.8 6.5 Italy 2009 42.4 30.3 7 15.7 4.6 Jamaica 2010 36.4 13.8 8.2 36.1 5.6 Japan 2010 31.2 17.7 16.2 34.6 0.3 Jordan 2010 64 0 0 32.5 3.4 Kazakhstan 2010 68.4 2.4 0.4 24.4 4.4 Kenya 2010 34.2 6.6 7.9 46.9 4.5 Kiribati 2010 16.7 33.3 0 50 0 Kyrgyzstan 2010 21.7 0.6 0.2 17.7 59.8 Lao People's Democratic Republic 2010 14.6 74.4 1.3 6.3 3.4 Latvia 2010 41.7 10.1 6 36.2 6 Lebanon 2010 45.4 18.6 0.6 32.8 2.7 Liberia 2009 33.8 0 0 66.3 0 Lithuania 2010 43.5 6 7.4 36.1 7 Luxembourg 2010 84.4 3.1 3.1 3.1 6.3 Malawi 2010 29 3 15 35 18 Malaysia 2010 26 58.7 2.8 9.1 3.4 Maldives 2010 50 33.3 0 16.7 0 Malta 2010 53.3 26.7 0 20 0 Marshall Islands 2010 25 0 0 75 0 Mauritius 2010 19 37.3 6.3 36.1 1.3 Mexico 2009 22.9 4 1 28.8 43.3 Mongolia 2010 39.7 18.7 0.2 25.1 16.3 Montenegro 2010 59 10.5 1.1 24.2 5.3 Morocco 2010 38 18.9 5.8 26.3 11 Mozambique 2010 44.5 55.5 0 Myanmar 2010 26.2 22.9 8.6 26.5 15.9 Namibia 2009 52.9 0.9 0 30.7 15.6 Netherlands 2010 41.9 15.9 25.3 11.3 5.6 New Zealand 2010 69.1 13.3 2.7 9.3 5.6 Nicaragua 2010 66.6 33.5 0 Niue 2010 100 0 0 0 0 Norway 2010 65.4 12.5 2.4 11.5 8.2 Oman 2010 71.5 2.9 2.2 23.4 0 Pakistan 2010 16.1 38.6 0 40.9 4.4 Palau 2010 100 0 0 0 0 Panama 2010 37.9 5.7 5.9 43.6 6.9 Papua New Guinea 2007 29.4 0 0 38.3 32.3 Paraguay 2009 30 41.4 0.7 27.9 Peru 2010 12.9 1.4 0.9 33.9 50.9 Poland 2010 47.4 8.8 7.2 31.6 5 Portugal 2010 52.6 23.9 3.8 14.7 5 Qatar 2010 63.6 3.1 0.9 32.5 Republic of Korea 2010 24.9 19.7 5.3 37.8 12.3 Republic of Moldova 2010 55.8 6.9 3.5 31.2 2.7 Romania 2010 40.9 7.3 7.7 36.5 7.6 Russian Federation 2010 53 6.7 2.1 33.4 4.8 Saint Kitts and Nevis 2010 66.7 11.1 0 11.1 11.1 Saint Lucia 2010 57.1 0 0 42.9 0 San Marino 2010 0 0 0 0 Senegal 2009 55.4 44.6 Serbia 2010 42.7 10.3 9.9 26.1 11.1 Singapore 2010 8.8 46.1 8.3 28.5 8.3 Slovakia 2010 34.6 6 7.8 43.7 8 Slovenia 2010 49.3 16.7 11.6 18.8 3.6 Solomon Islands 2010 22.2 0 0 44.4 33.3 Spain 2010 53 19.6 2.7 19 5.7 Sri Lanka 2009 67.5 32.5 Sudan 2010 33 67 Suriname 2010 44.8 36.8 8.1 10.3 0 Swaziland 2010 29.7 2.7 43.2 24.3 Sweden 2010 59.4 16.9 7.9 11.7 4.1 Switzerland 2010 39.5 22 10.4 22.9 5.2 Syrian Arab Republic 2010 69.6 30.4 Tajikistan 2010 53 4.6 42.1 0.2 Thailand 2010 13.3 73.5 3 7.8 2.5 The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 2010 58 11.1 4.3 19.8 6.8 Tonga 2010 50 16.7 0 33.3 0 Trinidad and Tobago 2010 70.4 5.3 2.9 21.4 Tunisia 2010 43.1 17 3.8 27.7 8.5 Turkey 2010 59.2 8.5 1.6 16.3 14.4 Uganda 2010 31.4 17.3 10.1 41.2 Ukraine 2010 40.3 11.3 5.8 37.9 4.8 United Arab Emirates 2010 55.7 2.7 0.9 28.7 12.1 United Kingdom 2010 47.3 21.7 5.8 21.8 3.4 United Republic of Tanzania 2010 18.3 12.7 33.3 35.7 United States of America 2009 70 13 2 12 3 Vanuatu 2010 33.3 0 0 66.7 0 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 2008 2.6 3.9 0.8 15.3 77.4 Zambia 2010 38.2 3 13.1 45.8 0

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