Its record low fatality rate in 2004 of 9.2 deaths per 10,000 cars placed China, for the first time, among countries with a single digit fatality rate.

Australia's current goal is a 40 per cent reduction in the per capita fatality rate over the decade to 2010.

However, it has been noted that the fatality rate from accidents decreased to 17 per cent in 2004, compared to 2003.

Between 2000 and 2004, our national fatality rate declined by 17 per cent, well on track towards achieving our 2010 target.

In addition to injury and fatality, these include manifestations of physical and mental illness and distress, pain, infection with the HIV virus and other sexually transmitted diseases.

By analyzing raw data on violent incidents in the Iraq war and others, Sean Gourley and his team claim to have found a surprisingly strong mathematical relationship linking the fatality and frequency of attacks.

But such breakthrough technologies are not simply invented and then implemented they need government support in the form of a coherent set of laws and regulations covering their use. Policymakers must therefore be involved at an early development stage if we are to reach the goal of zero fatality roads within our lifetimes.

On 22 May 2003, the General Assembly adopted resolution 57 309 on the global road safety crisis, highlighting the rapid increase in road traffic deaths, injuries and disabilities globally, the disproportionate fatality rate in developing countries and the negative impact of road traffic injuries on national and global economies and requesting the Secretary General to submit a report on the global road safety crisis.