Global Road Safety Status Report

International progress in
road safety
 Learning objectives

By the end of this session, the NDC should be familiar

with:
• the global magnitude and trends of road traffic
fatalities;
• the global socioeconomic and health burden of road
traffic injuries;
• the risk factors for road traffic injuries in the world;
• the public health approach and the Haddon matrix;
• the systems approach to address road traffic crashes
around the world.

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 Road traffic injuries are a huge public
health and development problem

• 1.2 million deaths a year

• 20-50 million are injured

or disabled

• 10th leading cause of

death

• account for 2.1% of all

deaths globally
Copyright Etienne Creux, Pretoria News

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Most are vulnerable
5|
road users
GSRRS: International progress in road safety
Road traffic crashes are predicted to risk
2002 2030
Disease or injury Disease or injury

1. Ischaemic heart disease 1. Ischaemic heart disease

2. Cerebrovascular disease 2. Cerebrovascular disease
3. Lower respiratory infections 3. HIV/AIDS
4. HIV/AIDS 4. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

5. Chronic obstructive 5. Lower respiratory infections

pulmonary disease

6. Perinatal conditions 6. Diabetes mellitus

7. Diarrhoeal diseases 7. Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers

8. Tuberculosis 8. Road traffic injuries

9. Trachea, bronchus, lung

cancers 9. Tuberculosis

10. Road traffic injuries 10. Perinatal conditions

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7|
Fatality rate per 100 000 population
19

0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
60
19
62
19
64
19
66
19
68
19
70
19
72
19
74
19

GSRRS: International progress in road safety

76

UK
19
78
19
80
19
82
19
Years 84

Australia
19
86
19
88
19
90
USA

19
92
19
94
19
96
19
98
20
00
20
02
Road traffic crashes can be prevented
 Road traffic deaths in India

90000 9

80000 8

70000 7

Fatalities/100,000 persons
60000 6
Fatalities

50000 5

40000 4

30000 3

20000 2
Fatalities
10000 1
Fatalities/100,000 persons
0 0
1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001
Ye ar

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 The major risk factors can be identified
and addressed
Factors influencing exposure to risk
– economic factors
– demographic factors
– land-use planning practices
– traffic mix
– road function versus design and
layout

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 Major risk factors are identifiable

• Risk factors influencing crash

involvement
– speed

– alcohol or drugs

– fatigue

– male

– vehicle defects

– youth driving together

– vulnerable road users

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 Major risk factors are identifiable

Risk factors influencing crash severity

– speed
– seat-belts, child restraints
– helmets
– Non-crash protective roadside objects
– insufficient vehicle crash protection
– alcohol and other drugs

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 Major risk factors are identifiable

Risk factors influencing post-crash outcome of injuries

– delay in detecting crash

– delay in transport to a health facility

– fire resulting from collision

– alcohol and other drugs

– rescue, extraction, evacuation

– poor trauma care and rehabilitation

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 Public health approach

2) Risk factor
1) Surveillance identification
What is the What are the
problem? causes?

4) Implementation 3) Develop and

evaluate
How is it done? interventions
What works?

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 Haddon Matrix
Factors

Phase Human Vehicles and equipment Environment

Pre-crash Crash Information Roadworthiness Road design and

prevention Lighting road layout
Attitudes
Braking Speed limits
Impairment
Handling Pedestrian
Police enforcement
facilities
Speed management

Crash Injury Use of restraints Occupant restraints Crash-protective

prevention roadside objects
during the Impairment Other safety devices
crash Crash protective design

Post-crash Life First-aid skill Ease of access Rescue facilities

sustaining Fire risk
Access to medics Congestion

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 Learning activity
Task

Read carefully this description of a road traffic collision scene.

A speeding motorist who is late for a meeting approaches a road junction

and goes through a traffic light that has just turned red. It is raining heavily
and visibility is poor. He hits a motorcyclist, for whom the lights had just
turned green. The motorcyclist, who is not wearing a helmet, suffers severe
head injuries. The motorist suffers facial injuries. The police find out that the
motorist was not wearing a seat-belt as the car had no seat-belts installed.
Bystanders did not know what number to call to get an ambulance. The
hospital had limited numbers of ambulances since it was a weekend.

Using the Haddon matrix, identify the pre-crash and crash risk factors related to
the driver and the motorcyclist.
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 Systems approach

Building on Haddon’s work, the “systems” approach

seeks to:

• Understand the system as a whole.

• Understand interactions between different components

and identify where intervention can take place

• Consider not only underlying factors, but also role of

different agencies and actors in prevention efforts.

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 Consider the interactions between
components of the system
Design and Access conditions
operation to and from
of transport the transport
network network

Road environment Street/road user The vehicle

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Source: adapted from The Road to safety: Strategic Map. New Zealand Transport Safety Authority and national safety Committee. 2001
Road safety should be addressed using
a “systems approach”

Infrastructure

Vehicle Road user

 Public health response

Public Health Responses

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Source: WHO, 2004, Figure 1.2, p.9.
 Summary

• A road traffic collision is the outcome of the interaction among a

number of factors, some of which may not appear to be directly
related to road traffic injuries.

• The public health approach is helpful in the analysis of risk

factors and guiding decision-making.

• The Haddon matrix helps to identify human, vehicle and

environmental factors during pre-, crash- and post-crash phases.

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 Summary (2)

• The systems approach considers all factors contributing to road

traffic injuries as well as the role of different agencies and actors
in prevention efforts.

• Main risk factors can be categorized into four groups:

¾ factors influencing exposure to risk

¾ factors influencing crash involvement

¾ factors influencing crash and injury severity

¾ factors influencing post-crash injury outcomes

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