Methods for Assessing Traffic Safety in Developing Countries

• Every year about 15 million people are injured in traffic, 500,000 of these fatally. Developing countries are badly affected. During the worst years of the war in Nicaragua, more people died in traffic accidents than as a direct result of the war. Transport system and infrastructure have developed rapidly in developing countries, while little has been achieved in preventing accidents or lessening their severity. Not only are accidents rates high, there are not sufficient resources to save the injured and help those who are left with permanent handicaps. Traffic safety is related to a complexity of factors including road users, the traffic environment and vehicles. Any changes in vehicles or human behaviour require long-term solutions. However, improvements in the traffic environment,"engineering" or design changes, can be made relatively quickly. The Traffic Conflict Technique TCT enables traffic hazards to be studied quickly and simply. It is possible to determine wheather the site is dangerous after three to five days of conflict studies, and if so, propose suitable countermeasures. TCT does not require complicated equipment, and observers are ready to carry out studies after a week’s training. The aim of the study was to describe how the TCT could be used in urban areas of developing countries to: identify and quantify traffic risks, improve traffic safety for different groups of road users, plan the development of infrastructure and the traffic environment. The work was carried out as a field study in Cochabamba, Bolivia, a city with a population of around 400,000, and the report includes the following: a description of the conflict technique and its use, recommendations for using conflict technique in cities in developing countries, and how the information can be interpreted and used ineconomically realistic, practical solutions, a description of some types of "engineering" solutions that can improve traffic safety.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Samhällsbyggnadsteknik -- Infrastrukturteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Civil Engineering -- Infrastructure Engineering (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Building Issues

Publication and Content Type

rap (subject category)

vet (subject category)