The Changing Face of Mobility
The Changing Face of Mobility
Road Safety Report 2025
Mobility on the world's roads is a reflection of technological progress, social change, and global challenges - including in the area of road safety. The fact that around 1.2 million people are killed in traffic accidents worldwide every year underscores the importance of continuing efforts to develop effective measures to prevent accidents and mitigate their consequences.
In the 1920s, motorized mobility began its global triumph with the mass production of automobiles. In Europe and North America in particular, the car became a new symbol of technical progress and social modernization. However, the road infrastructure was still in its infancy, and vehicles were equipped with only simple braking and lighting systems.
In the decades after World War II, the car developed from a luxury item into a means of mass transportation, and many countries launched infrastructure programs to build or expand roads. With increasing globalization from the 1980s onwards, numerous emerging economies such as China and India also achieved higher levels of motorization, while the first problems of mass car traffic became apparent in industrialized countries. Traffic congestion, air pollution, and accidents led to a growing awareness of the social and environmental costs of car use.
The 21st century marks a profound change in mobility, with issues such as digitalization, climate protection, and new usage concepts increasingly coming to the fore. Sharing services, micromobility, and digital traffic control are becoming increasingly important. While industrialized countries in particular are moving toward fully automated and connected mobility concepts, many countries in the Global South still face completely different challenges.
In the 100 years since DEKRA was founded, mobility has undergone an enormous transformation. Major advances have been made in both vehicle technology and road safety. This development is impressive – but it was also urgently needed.
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August 17, 1896, in south London: Bridget Driscoll, in her mid-forties, is crossing the road on foot when a petrol carriage comes towards her and runs her over. Her head injuries are so severe that she dies on the spot. She goes down in history as the presumed first victim of an accident involving an automobile.
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Accident Statistics, The Human Factor, Technology and Infrastructure – plus numerous accident examples and statements from international experts: The DEKRA Road Safety Report 2025 examines “The Changing Face of Mobility” from a wide variety of perspectives.
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