Road Safety in Low- and Middle-Income Countries – Analysis and Recommendations

Abstract

Road accidents continue to be a major cause of death and serious injury for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The overall goal of this study is to increase road safety in LMICs by providing them with easier access to knowledge developed by PIARC (World Road Association). The basis of the study was the in-depth analysis of more than 45 PIARC documents with the aim of providing insights to road authorities, operators, planners and other relevant stakeholders into several road safety areas. The PIARC resources were reviewed and analyzed considering eight major road safety areas, based on the Safe System Approach, namely management, data, speed, vulnerable road users, human factors, infrastructure, vehicles and tunnels. This paper summarizes the main challenges identified for each safety area as well as providing a set of recommendations. These findings, while targeted at road transport stakeholders of low- and middle-income countries, can be considered valuable for all countries looking to improve safety on their roads.