MEASURING THE BURDEN : DISABILITY AND DANGERS STRIKE DIFFERENT GROUPS HARDER

This article describes the disparity in burden imposed by traffic- related injuries and deaths on lower-income countries, especially those where motorization is occurring so rapidly. A big concern is the fact that the rising number of motorized vehicles is not being matched by investments in infrastructure, so that roads are being shared by a variety of users, motorized and non-motorized, which increases risks, especially for people traveling outside of a vehicle. Where the majority of crash victims in high-income countries are car occupants, in low-income countries the majority of victims do not have access to a car. And where pedestrians make up a small share of road fatalities in the developed world, their share of fatalities can range as high as 89 percent in certain urban regions in lower-income countries. The social costs suffered by road crash survivors, both the victims and their extended families, are very high. To pay for hospital care or make up for lost wages and labor can cause entire families to fall into extreme poverty. The article provides examples from some countries.

  • Availability:
  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Alternate title: TSC Newsletter; Winter 2004-2005
  • Corporate Authors:

    University of California, Berkeley

    Traffic Safety Center, 2614 Dwight Way
    Berkeley, CA  United States  94720-7374
  • Publication Date: 2004

Language

  • English

Media Info

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00986949
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
  • Files: BTRIS, TRIS
  • Created Date: Mar 2 2005 12:00AM