PSY 409a, October 24, 2005

My Fourth Outline of Assigned Readings

By Karis Amano

The Problem of Road Safety Around the World

Reference 9: Jacobs, G.D. and Amy Aeron-Thomas. “A Review of Global Road Accident Fatalities.” DFID Transport Links. http://www.transport-links.org/transport_links/filearea/publications/1_771_Pa3568.pdf

Instructions for this activity are found at:

www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy23/409a-g23-oral.htm

Instructor: Dr. Leon James

I. Background of GRSP

a) The Global Road Safety Partnership, or GSRP, is a partnership including participants all over the world including, The World Bank.

b) It aims to bring to everyone’s attention, especially those who are involved in road accidents, how big a problem road safety is around the world and to lower its fatality and injury rates.

c) The launch of the GSRP shows how serious road safety is around the world and not just in the United States.

II. Fatalities and Injuries from Road Accidents

a) Part of the GRSP’s objective is to estimate global fatalities and injuries due to road accidents and to predict future trends and rates.

b) Studies have been done by TRL, World Bank and others based on countries’ police reports. It was estimated that in the year 1999, there were fro 750,000 to 880,000 fatalities world wide due to road accidents. These numbers are less than studies done by the World Health Organization (WHO) who estimated the fatality rate from 1990 data to be 1.17 million. The studies also take into account under-reporting, estimates where police reports are not available, countries who do not use the 30 day definition, and updating fatality figures. As for fatality forecasts in the future, it is predicting that in the year 2010, global road deaths will reach 900,000 – 1.1 million and by the year 2020, it is estimated to be 1 million – 13 million.

c) I feel it is important to let the public know how big a problem road safety is. People who have not taken a class in driving psychology may never realize how big a problem it is all around the world, therefore not making any extra effort to improve the situation.

III. Economic Costs

a) Road accidents take a toll on an economies money purse and there are still a lot more other problems needing funding. They must figure out what road safety projects will be put to best use and calculate benefits vs. cost.

b) Road costs were shown by the percentage of countries’ GNP range from 0.3% (Vietnam) and 0.5% (Nepal, Bangladesh) to around 5% (USA, Malawi, Kwa Zulu, Natal).

c) Knowing economic costs of road accidents is important for the same reasons as being aware of fatalities and injuries. Sure people feel bad when they see innocents being killed on the road but they also realize that they are also the ones who pay for better road safety.