Preventing the leading cause of death in young people in Europe

oad traffic injuries are a leading cause of death worldwide, account-ing for 1.2 million deaths annually. In 2002, road traffic accidents were responsible for 127 000 deaths in the WHO European Region.1 Recently, there have been calls for global action to reduce this public health threat, and the First United Nations Global Road Safety Week was held on 23–29 April 2007.2 Activities during the week focused specifically on preventing road traffic injuries in young people under the age of 25 years. The WHO European Region faces substantial challenges in this respect, as each year