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Abstract
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More widespread use of seatbelts and other vehicle safety technologies could substantially reduce traffic deaths in low- and middle-income countries, according to a recent study.
Most of these countries will not meet the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal of cutting traffic deaths in half by 2020, according to the authors. In fact, traffic deaths remain the second leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 49 years in Latin America and the Caribbean, they note. While the region has substantially reduced the burden of respiratory and diarrheal disease as well as HIV and AIDs, traffic deaths have remained stubbornly stable.
Among 8 vehicle safety technologies that are common in high-income countries, the researchers found that in the Latin America region, wider use of electronic stability control, including antilock brakes, would result in 19.4% fewer traffic deaths. Increased seatbelt use would reduce deaths by 12.1%.
"Seatbelts are a highly effective technology that are already available in almost all vehicles in the region, but seatbelt use is low," wrote Kavi Bhalla, PhD, assistant professor in the department of public health sciences, and PhD candidate Kevin Gleason, both of the University of Chicago. "The [Latin America and Caribbean] region needs to strengthen the enforcement of belt use laws to derive the benefits of this technology."
The authors also argue for greater government regulation of safety features in new vehicles sold in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Language: en |