Citation

Mumford J. Proc. Road Saf. Four Continents Conf. 2007; 14: 8p.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Conference Sponsor)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Understanding of how infrastructure can mitigate road death and applying these principles in the developed world took 50 years. The challenge now is to do the same in the developing world, but it cannot take another 50 years. The conclusion of this paper is that economic growth in developing countries will almost certainly bring increased road fatalities. The causes are rapid urbanization, increased transit traffic on corridor roads, and increased mobility leading to a rapid increase in inexperienced road users. These mechanisms can occur at any level of GDP. The problem arises because the rate of economic growth outstrips the functionality of the infrastructure, and the combination of large numbers of inexperienced younger drivers on dysfunctional roads is literally lethal. It is also clear that the vast majority of deaths are pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and passengers in inappropriate vehicles (e.g., on the back of pick-up trucks). The average fatality rate of this type of road user in low income countries is probably 20 per 100,000, contrasting with 2 per 100,000 in some developed countries. There is a sense that as mobility in lower income countries increases it is the poorer road users, not the car owners, who suffer. Increased mobility is essential for sustainable development and the relief of poverty, but it should not inflict such high fatality rates on the poorer parts of society. The principles of developing a safe road system in the developing world are no different to the developed world. Action is needed simultaneously on the vehicle, behavior and the road. A key part of the solution is to assess the road network in developing countries and identify the dysfunctional roads where large numbers are being killed and seriously injured and then target these roads for safety upgrading with affordable engineering countermeasures.