The ATO road safety profiles offer insights into the road safety in 37 Asia-Pacific countries by utilizing road safety related data from various sources and policy information extracted from a range of documents.

These road safety profiles were developed by the Asian Transport Observatory in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Road Safety Observatory (APRSO) and the International Road Federation (IRF). This September 2025 edition updates the February 2025 release—prepared for the Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Marrakech—to inform discussions at the Asia-Pacific Regional Road Safety Conference in Manila.

Road safety remains a significant public health and development challenge in Cook Islands. While progress has been made in recent years, the country still faces a considerable burden of road traffic crashes, fatalities, and injuries. The Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) estimated approximately 20 fatalities per 100,000 population in Cook Islands due to road crashes in 2021, highlighting the ongoing severity of the issue. Road crash injuries also ranked 12th cause of all deaths in the country that same year. This situation underscores the urgent need for continued efforts to improve road safety measures, infrastructure, and user behavior to protect the lives and well-being of Cook Islands citizens.

Analyzing disaggregated data provides valuable insights into the specific patterns and risk factors associated with road crashes in Cook Islands. The share of females in road crash fatalities marginally decreased from 25% in 2010 to 24% in 2021, a small trend, though still highlighting the disproportionate impact on men. According to the Global Burden of Disease statistics, the combined share of minors (under 14 years old) and seniors (over 65 years old) in road crash fatalities remained at a concerning 39% between 2015 and 2019, indicating the vulnerability of these age groups.

The economic consequences of road traffic crashes in Cook Islands are substantial. In 2021, these fatalities and serious injuries cost an estimated 16 million USD.

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