For the first time ever, the number of people killed in road accidents has fallen below 150,000 in the 52 member countries of the International Transport Forum (ITF), excluding India.

According to data released by the Paris-based organization, which is part of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), road fatalities recorded the biggest decrease since 1990 with a drop of 8.9% in 2008 compared with 2007.

Preliminary data for 2009 shows a continuing significant reduction in the number of road deaths for most ITF member countries, recording a drop of almost 10%.

“The moderating effects of the economic crisis on road traffic appear to be one reason for this favourable trend,” said Jack Short, secretary general of the ITF. “But many governments can also take credit for road safety policies that are now starting to produce results.”

The ITF also reported that a drop in travel volumes in the wake of the global economic crisis has decreased greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions from the transport sector in many countries. The long-term trend, however, continues to be toward an increase in carbon dioxide emissions from travel activity.

The report says that global carbon dioxide emissions from transport grew by 45% from 1990 to 2007. It concludes that from 2007 to 2030, transport emissions will continue to grow by approximately 40%. This is only slightly lower than precrisis estimates and already takes account of many planned efficiency improvements.

Road-sector emissions dominate transport emissions, with light-duty vehicles accounting for the bulk of emissions globally. In some of the ITF’s 52 member countries, road freight accounts for up to 30% to 40% of road-sector carbon dioxide emissions. Emissions from global aviation and international shipping accounted for 2.5% and 3%, respectively, of total carbon dioxide emissions in 2007 and are the fastest growing sources of transport carbon dioxide emissions.

Across the economy, the crisis of 2008 has contributed to the sharpest drop in emissions in the past 40 years, with estimates ranging from 3% to 10%. This could translate into a 5% to 8% decrease in 2020 emissions from their precrisis projected levels, depending on the strength of the economic recovery.

Despite countries’ gaining some breathing room from the post-crisis drop in GHG emissions, fundamental drivers for increased transport-sector carbon dioxide emissions remain and necessitate coordinated policies to limit future emissions. Some countries, notably France, Germany and Japan, have seen their road carbon dioxide emissions stabilize or decrease even before the recession of 2008-09, despite economic and road freight growth over the same period.

The ITF is holding its annual global mobility summit on “Transport and Innovation: Unleashing the Potential” in Leipzig, Germany, May 26-28.

The International Transport Forum is a strategic think tank for the transport sector. An intergovernmental organization linked to the OECD, ITF's goal is to help shape the transport policy agenda and ensure that it contributes to economic growth, environmental protection, social inclusion and the preservation of human life and well-being.