Frequent road mishaps in 2024: Every 19 minutes, a child sustains injury or loss of life - statistics remain stationary
In the year 2024, a concerning trend emerged in traffic safety for children. Every 19 minutes, a child was either injured or killed in traffic accidents, according to recent statistics.
As children grow older, their independence in traffic increases, and this independence comes with risks. A significant number of schoolchildren move more independently in traffic as they get older, and this shift is reflected in the data.
The proportion of schoolchildren involved in traffic accidents who were on foot increased slightly as they grew older, with 20% of those involved being in this category. Similarly, the proportion of children involved in traffic accidents who were on a bicycle significantly increased as they got older, with 38% of accidents involving cyclists.
The number of children killed in traffic accidents also saw an increase, with 53 children losing their lives in 2024, up from 44 in the previous year.
Children aged 6 to 14 were particularly likely to be involved in traffic accidents. This age group accounted for 13% of the children injured or killed in 2023. They were most likely to be involved in a traffic accident while riding a bicycle (38%).
Interestingly, children under 6 are most often in a car with supervising adults, so they are most likely to be involved in an accident in this setting (58% in 2024). However, as children grow older, they are less likely to be involved in a traffic accident while in a car compared to younger children (29%).
The majority of children involved in traffic accidents were in a car (35%). However, the proportion of schoolchildren involved in traffic accidents who were in a car slightly decreased as they got older (29%). On the other hand, the proportion of schoolchildren involved in traffic accidents who were on foot slightly increased as they got older (20%).
A total of 27,260 children under 15 were involved in traffic accidents in 2024, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
After a significant decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the number of injured and killed children in traffic accidents increased again in 2022 and 2023.
The common settings for child traffic accidents include areas near schools, residential neighborhoods, and pedestrian crossings. Children are frequently injured or killed as pedestrians or passengers rather than as drivers. These accidents often involve external injuries and poisoning, with road traffic a significant cause of child injury mortality.
Despite some improvement in road safety for children over the past decade, recent data suggest that some areas and vulnerable road users—including children—still face notable risks. The trends indicate that while some safety gains were previously made, recent years have seen some setbacks or variability, possibly including children.
[1] Source: Turkish Statistical Institute [2] Source: Australian Road Safety Foundation [3] Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [4] Source: Child Safety International [5] Source: World Health Organization
- Although the statistics show a decrease in traffic accidents during the COVID-19 pandemic, they have since increased again, particularly in the realm of health-and-wellness as related to general news.
- In a concerning shift, the number of schoolchildren on foot involved in traffic accidents increases with age, potentially indicating a need for further emphasis on science-based traffic safety measures for this age group.
- A disheartening rise in child fatalities due to traffic accidents, as reported by destatis, puts a spotlight on crime-and-justice matters, especially in relation to traffic law enforcement and the overall safety of our roads.
