US casts sole dissenting vote against UN road safety declaration

The United Nations passed a near-unanimous resolution calling for a reduction of traffic deaths and a renewed focus on road safety, reports Christine Ro in Forbes. The sole dissenter to the resolution? The United States.

According to Ro, "The declaration reiterates a global goal: to at least halve road traffic deaths and injuries between 2021 and 2030. It also calls for governments to assign and fund a lead agency for coordinating road safety, to improve public transport systems, and to make other pledges for safer roads (48 in total)."

A U.S. representative called the resolution a "symbolic global gesture" — which could be true if countries don't invest more in road safety efforts. "Globally, over a million people were killed on roads in 2025. While 10 countries have reached the 50% reduction target early, the world as a whole is far off track." The Trump administration accused the declaration of "mission creep," charging that it's a backhanded way of enforcing climate regulations.

According to Ro, "This is no act of God. Road-traffic deaths are preventable, through strengthening of public transit, improvement of trauma care, adoption of existing technology and especially thoughtful road design, which can be as cheap and simple as narrowing lanes to reduce speeds."