The need for safety targets in south Asian developing countries

Abstract

Road deaths in eighteen countries were analyzed in this study to recognize an appropriate next step for south Asian developing countries. Road fatality trend analysis revealed that the annual road deaths in south Asian developing countries are continuously increasing with economic development. Further results from south Asian developing countries revealed that lesser populated countries lose a larger share of their people to road crashes. Target setting to improve road safety together with systematic selection and application of remedial measures considered in developed countries have been found to be working well; thus it is identified as a suitable next step to improve road safety in south Asia. Different strategies implemented in developed countries show that safety interventions need to differ between countries. The need for methodological approaches to set up a safety office to reduce the road deaths in south Asian developing countries are also highlighted