Southern Africa may soon be the most dangerous place to drive in the world - here's why

Deaths and injuries from car accidents have declined worldwide over the past two decades.

Sub-Saharan Africa, however, is an unfortunate exception.

Road injuries increased 13% from 1990 to 2013 in west sub-Saharan Africa. The south, however, saw a staggering 35% increase during the same period.

These numbers are from the most recent update to the Global Burden of Disease and Injury study, which was published in the journal Injury Prevention on December 3.

So what's causing the uptick in Africa?