Agnes Kneitz critiques the applicability of Ulrich Beck’s “risk society” theory beyond the Global North, highlighting how perceptions of risk are shaped by local norms, cultural histories, and economies. Using road safety as an example, she contrasts Germany’s approach motivated by the safety for individuals to China’s chaotic yet harmonious traffic patterns, revealing distinct cultural attitudes toward risk. Kneitz argues that risks transcend borders, exemplified by nuclear disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima, which impact distant regions and future generations. She emphasizes the need to understand the mediators and power dynamics in risk transmission. Finally, she takes a look at the special issue Beck has published to incorporate non-Western perspectives and to promote a more inclusive, global understanding of risk, but notes that even though it offers new perspectives the theories are still rooted in the original Western model.