KATHMANDU: Roads in Nepal are becoming increasingly unsafe, with recent data showing that road accidents are rising by an average of 5.4 percent every year, posing a serious public health challenge.
Experts raised concerns over the growing trend during an interaction program on road safety organized by the Ministry of Health and Population.
Speaking at the event, Health Minister Dr Sudha Sharma described road accidents as one of the country’s major public health problems, noting that Gen-Z youths are among the most affected. She stressed the need for effective coordination among government agencies and greater public awareness to reduce accidents.
Nearly half of all road accident fatalities in Nepal involve two-wheeler users, a fact experts termed particularly alarming. To address this risk, stakeholders agreed on the immediate implementation of a ‘universal helmet law,’ making helmet use mandatory for both riders and pillion passengers.
According to a 2021 report, around 8,000 people lose their lives in road accidents in Nepal every year. This figure is nearly double the South Asian average. Road accidents also cause an estimated annual economic loss of around USD 3 billion, equivalent to nearly 7 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
At the current growth rate, achieving the government’s target of halving road accident deaths by 2030 appears highly challenging. However, experts said that investing just 0.4 percent of GDP in road safety could help save nearly 3,000 lives annually.
Without improved investment in road safety, strict enforcement of traffic laws and stronger public awareness, Nepal’s roads will continue to remain a major safety risk, experts warned.
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