The Goal Is Zero: Making Roads Safe in Russia to Reduce Injuries and Premature Deaths

The First Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety was hosted by President Medvedev and the Russian Government in November 2009. This is a major public health issue in Russia, but also in many other developing countries. While the current economic crisis has focused the policy attention on important macroeconomic and unemployment and poverty issues, it is important to recall other major social and public health issues such as road safety. This note reviews the sources of the road safety problem in Russia, discusses economic and social consequences, and draws tentative conclusions about available policy options for confronting “death on wheels” and contributing to saving lives and to prevent further loss of population in the Russian Federation.