Planning for road safety: awareness, behavior and infrastructure

The worldwide traffic safety crisis is due, in part, to rapid increases in motorization without sufficient improvement in road safety and land-use planning. International actions from non-governmental organizations are addressing traffic deaths and accidents through a variety of means that address infrastructure, including:
 

Awareness, resources, advocacy and education. In India, the World Resources Institute (WRI) works to improve road safety awareness through workshops and training for civil society groups and trucking and taxi associations intended to gain support for new vehicle safety legislation. The India Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill of 2016, approved in 2017, is expected to save 300,000 lives by 2020, setting an example for road safety worldwide.

The nonprofit International Road Federation offers information resources, advocacy services and continuing education programs in more than 70 countries, as well as training in best practices for road design, highway projects, “smart” mobility, design for safety and network asset management.

Designing and transforming roads. True to its motto, “Change Streets, Change the World,” the Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI) works in partnership with NACTO to help cities design environmentally sustainable roads that improve mobility and economic development while promoting public health, safety and quality of life. Launched in 2014 and supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, GDCI focuses on urban streets. In one recent project, GDCI worked with Ethiopian officials and local engineering, architecture, construction and art students to transform an extremely dangerous Addis Ababa intersection into a safe and colorful public area with clearly defined traffic paths and ample pedestrian space.

In addition, the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) is dedicating $250 million over 12 years (2015-2027) to world road safety organizations to implement proven road-safety activities. A major portion of these funds are targeted for shoulder widening, medians and barriers, controlled crosswalks, lane marking and separation and intersection improvement. One highly successful BIGRS project was a pop-up street transformation in Sao Paulo. In five hours, BIGRS, working with NACTO-GDCI teams, transformed the city’s most dangerous intersection into a pedestrian-friendly, reduced-speed zone with average vehicle speeds reduced by 30 percent.

Loans to implement road safety programs. The World Bank’s Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF) initiative provides interest-free loans to low- and middle-income countries to help them implement affordable road safety programs. As of 2016, GRSF had committed $411 million to 57 projects in 38 countries. Their recent activities include improving road safety and management capacity in Paraguay, Tanzania, Romania, Nepal, Morocco, Brazil, Mexico and several Pacific Islands, as well as improved road infrastructure in Ukraine.

Any effort to reduce road injury rates relies on the ability to gauge and mitigate situations that contribute to traffic accidents. According to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, a successful transportation plan should include the 4 Es of safety:
 

• Education. Inform drivers about the rules of the road and the importance of good choices: wearing seatbelts, not texting while driving and avoiding alcohol or medications that affect awareness.
• Enforcement. Enforce traffic laws and provide a visible police presence to deter unsafe driving behavior.
• Engineering. Make roadway improvements to prevent crashes or reduce their severity.
• Emergency medical and trauma service. Respond rapidly to collisions to stabilize victims and transport them to medical facilities.