Strategy to improve road safety in developing countries (original) (raw)

To review the road safety situation in developed and developing countries compared with the Arabian Gulf countries and suggest a strategy to improve it. The role of road engineers in reducing accidents is highlighted. This is a retrospective study of road traffic accidents (RTAS) for a period from 1988 to 1998 in Arabian Gulf Countries. The data was taken from the Directorate of Traffic and Ministry of Health records in Gulf Countries. Additional data was obtained from other sources including the World Health Organizations Statistics Annuals, International Road Federation, Transport Road Research Laboratory and accident facts publications. Overall fatality and injury rates of RTAs were calculated. The lack of reliable data is a serious problem in most of the developing countries. It is quite reasonable to assume that the incidence of accidents is much larger than actually reported. A comparison of vehicle ownership levels and safety parameters in both developed and developing countr...