Traffic Safety in Emerging Nations

Traffic safety problems associated with motorising countries could have a truly catastrophic impact unless strong action is taken. According to the World Health Organization, traffic fatalities will soon be the world's third leading cause of death. In 1990, they were the ninth leading cause of death. These deaths, plus the related injuries and lifelong disabilities have an enormous impact on families, and the economy.

In Canada, we went straight from the horse and horse-drawn vehicle to the motor car. Bicycle use went down, and motorized two-wheel transport was never widespread.

Road transportation has developed in a different way in emerging nations. They are motorising at a time when the bicycle, motorcycle and moped are well developed technologically and within financial reach of the bulk of the population.

Today, passenger automobiles represent over 76 per cent of vehicles registered in Canada. Motorcycles comprise less than two per cent, and the rest are commercial vehicles. By contrast, in many rapidly motorising countries there are considerably fewer passenger cars, but an enormous number of pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcycle or motor scooter riders. Add to this trucks and buses (in greater proportion than in Canada) plus animal-drawn and human-drawn conveyances.

In Canada, passenger vehicle occupants (drivers and passengers) constitute the largest single road user category for traffic deaths. In many motorising countries, however, passenger car occupant deaths are low compared to other categories. In India, passenger car occupant deaths constitute less than two per cent of the total, in China, less than five per cent. The largest categories of victims in both those countries are pedestrians or bicyclists who are stuck by motor vehicles. Truck and bus riders also rank among the casualties.

The mix of road users in motorising countries creates unique problems never experienced in now-highly motorised countries.

Reference: Reflections on the Transfer of Traffic Safety Knowledge to Motorising Nations, Global Traffic Safety Trust, March 1998.

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Safety Canada (July 1998)