TRAFFIC SAFETY TAKES TO A GLOBAL STAGE : ROAD INJURY AND ITS PREVENTION EMERGE AS AN INTERNATIONAL HEALTH ISSUE

The World Health Organization's decision to make road safety the theme of the 2004 World Health Day on April 7 reflects several important developments in how traffic safety has become more visible as a global public health problem. Traffic-related deaths and injuries are important contributors to the global burden of disease, and they have been historically under-reported in low-and middle-income countries, which sustain a huge economic burden as a result of the personal, societal and financial costs of traffic injuries. Also, policies that work for high-income countries may have applications to the rest of the world, but care must be taken in trying to apply them. More than 85 percent of all road fatalities are recorded in low- and middle- income countries, vastly out of proportion to the rates of travel. Road crashes are predicted to rise from ninth to third place as a contributor to the overall burden of disease, according to recent studies. The single most important factor is the rapid increase in motorization in the developing world. Discussion includes relationship between overall wealth and traffic safety as well as elements of traffic safety unique to lower-income countries.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/54930844
• 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

• Pagination: p. 4-7
• Serial:
  • Traffic Safety Center Newsletter
  • Volume: 2
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: University of California, Berkeley
  • Serial URL: http://www.tsc.berkeley.edu/html/newsletter.html

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Developing countries; Fatalities; Public health; Public opinion; Traffic safety
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00986948
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: UC Berkeley Transportation Library
• Files: BTRIS, TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 2 2005 12:00AM