Marie Thynell

Commentary: Status of road safety in Asia

ABSTRACT Objectives: The objective of this article is to assess the status of road safety in Asia and present accident and injury prevention strategies based on global road safety improvement experiences and discuss the way forward by indicating opportunities and countermeasures that could be implemented to achieve a new level of safety in Asia. Methods: This study provides a review and analyses of data in the literature, including from the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Bank, and a review of lessons learned from best practices in high-income countries. In addition, an estimation of costs due to road transport injuries in Asia and review of future trends in road transport is provided. Results: Data on the global and Asian road safety problem and status of prevention strategies in Asia as well as recommendations for future actions are discussed. The total number of deaths due to road accidents in the 24 Asian countries, encompassing 56% of the total world population, is 750,000 per year (statistics 2010). The total number of injuries is more than 50 million, of which 12% are hospital admissions. The loss to the economy in the 24 Asian countries is estimated to around US

Modernidad en movimiento: Cómo enfrentarse a la movilidad motorizada en Teherán, Santiago y Copenhague

800 billion or 3.6% of the gross domestic product (GDP). Conclusions: This article clearly shows that road safety is causing large problems and high costs in Asia, with an enormous impact on the well-being of people, economy, and productivity. In many Asian low- and middle-income countries, the yearly number of fatalities and injuries is increasing. Vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists combined) are particularly at risk. Road safety in Asia should be given rightful attention, including taking powerful, effective actions. This review stresses the need for reliable accident data, because there is considerable underreporting in the official statistics. Reliable accident data are imperative to determine evidence-based intervention strategies and monitor the success of these interventions and analyses. On the other hand, lack of good high-quality accident data should not be an excuse to postpone interventions. There are many opportunities for evidence-based transport safety improvements, including measures concerning the 5 key risk factors: speed, drunk driving, not wearing motorcycle helmets, not wearing seat belts, and not using child restraints in cars, as specified in the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011–2020. In this commentary, a number of additional measures are proposed that are not covered in the Decade of Action Plan. These new measures include separate roads or lanes for pedestrians and cyclists; helmet wearing for e-bike riders; special attention to elderly persons in public transportation; introduction of emerging collision avoidance technologies, in particular automatic emergency braking (AEB) and alcohol locks; improved truck safety focusing on the other road user (including blind spot detection technology; underride protection at the front, rear, and side; and energy-absorbing fronts); and improvements in motorcycle safety concerning protective clothing, requirements for advanced braking systems, improved visibility of motorcycles by using daytime running lights, and better guardrails.

Sustainable transport and the modernisation of urban transport in Delhi and Stockholm

The progress of modernization is accompanied by an emphasis on urban mobility and economic growth together with increasing environmental awareness. This article aims at analysing the transformation of transport systems (car-road system and public transport) together with related urban changes and their societal effects in three very different cities: Santiago, Tehran and Copenhagen. In these cities vehicle ownership is increasing and motorized mobility is further facilitated. Mass motorization is an essential part of modernization. However, its impact on societal development is an area of research that has received little attention. Moreover, mass motorization is handled in different ways in different socio-political settings. In Tehran the emphasis is on technological upgrading and enlargement. In Santiago, an important re-regulation and modernisation of the systems is taking place. In Copenhagen all kinds of improvements are made partly inspired by the Agenda 21. Furthermore, as this article points out, the local political order and chosen strategies to handle motorization problems are diverse. My analysis emphasizes mass motorization, political interventions, civil society, urban governance, sustainable development and the management of urban mobility. I conclude that political strength at the city level seems to be weaker than what is observed at the national level.