Countries Experiences in Road Safety
(1)
(1)
Taisir S. Khedaywi, (2)Maen Qaseem Ghadi
Prof. of Civil Eng., Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid-Jordan,
Email: [email protected]
(2)
Research assistance, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid-Jordan,
Email: [email protected]
Abstract
Road safety measures are shared between different levels of public and
government, stimulating road users towards a more responsible behavior,
continuous training of private and professional drivers and a better enforcement
against dangerous behavior. Beside to making vehicles safer through improved
technical performance standards and finally improving the road infrastructure are
an important factor in achieving person’s safety on roads.
Several programs were suggested and even applied to achieve this road safety. In
the developed countries, Sweden and UK have already achieved a major reduction
in road fatalities since 1990.
Also, a high-income countries has a good experience in applying road safety
programs, it is more difficult to apply the same safety programs in low and even
middle income countries (90% road traffic deaths occur in low and middle income
countries) (1).
This research is trying to highlight of the countries’ experiences in road
safety, well-known programs in the aspects especially in developed countries, and
where is the Jordan (as one of the developing countries) from all of these, as well
as recommend a strategy to fight this deadly epidemic (road accidents).
1. Introduction
Traffic accident incurs a large loss to countries, families and individuals; it is
considered the second largest causes of death to youth. Every year approximately
1.2 million people were died, between 20 and 50 million people were injured, and
the losses of about US $ 518 billion (1-3% GDP) annually by road accidents
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worldwide (WHO) (1), with the highest percentages incurred by transitional and
developing countries (2). Traffic accident may cause a person’s death, injuries,
loss of productivity and/or property damage. In addition to the economic losses
traffic accident has social losses to victims and/or their families with grief,
hardship and even degraded quality of life.
This research is trying to highlight of the countries’ experiences in road
safety, well-known programs in the aspects especially in developed countries, and
where is the Jordan (as one of the developing countries) from all of these, as well
as recommend a strategy to fight this deadly epidemic (road accidents).
2. State of the Problem
In order to solve any problem it is firstly necessary to determine and have a
clear view of its causes. Any road system is basically divided into three
components, and consequence accident, that represent a start point for any road
safety program, in order to understanding the transportation highway mode and to
provide safety and efficiency on roadways:
2.1 Human:
Most of the road crisis are man-made, with human error that account of
approximately 90 percent of total accident (International Organization for Road
Accident Prevention), therefore, focus should be intensifies on people for any
safety program. The key is focusing on the human element that objects basically
on stimulating good driving behavior. Ninety percent of our traffic accidents are
related to bad driving behavior; driving recklessly, speeding, improper lane
change, passing through red lights and other more than 50 wrong behaviors. Lack
of awareness of road safety priorities may consider as a second causes of human
error, which should be enhanced by increasing educational courses and programs
especially for children group who has significant influence of the entire future
generation of inhabitant. The following are the top causes of accident occurrence
in road resulted from the human factor:
• Districted Driving: District drivers are motorists whose divert their
attention from the road to other things such as, talk on a cell phone, eat
food, looking at an object or event outside of the vehicle or talking with the
person sitting next to him or her, all of these thing dispersion drivers
thinking. For instance, if the driver change radio station, this not only will
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•
•
•
•
take his or her hand off the steering wheel to press the button, but also take
his or her eyes to look at the button beside to take part of his or her
thinking. However, district drivers are the leading cause of most car
accidents, which involved in 80 percent of automobile accidents (NHTSA).
In order to reduce districted drivers and increase road safety, full attention
must be given to road.
Speeding: many drivers ignore speed limit and drive 10, 20 or 30 mph over
the limit. As speed increase above limit driver reaction time will be slower
to prevent auto crashes, as speed increase above the limit auto and human
damage severity will increase. To avoid speeding, people should
understand that, speeding does not save their time, but only increase danger
to themselves and others. Moreover, parents are role models for their
children in their commitment of road speed and priorities.
Reckless Driving: Reckless drivers those who speed, tailgate or change lane
too quickly disregarded for the rules of the road before causing a car
accident. Reckless driving act also include running red lights, suddenly
braking, distracted driving, driving under influence of drugs, improper
turning and other wrong activities. These traffic offences do not constitute
reckless driving alone, but a combination of aggravating circumstances and
traffic violations can support reckless driving. For instance, excessive speed
isn’t usually considered reckless driving, unless it contribute with other
factors such as, presence of pedestrian, visibility or time of day. Teenagers
are widely engaged in reckless driving behavior to test their limit and
impress their friends.
Running Red Lights: Drivers who run red lights run the risk of causing
death, due to causing side-impact collisions. This situation often occurs
when drivers rush and speed up when they approach a yellow light, but
often through the intersection after light has turned to red. Red light
automatic cameras can be installed at intersection that catch red light runner
that contribute in car accidents prevention.
Teenage Drivers: In most countries car accidents are consider the leading
causes of death for teenagers among age group 16 to 19 year old than other
age group. Newly licensed teenagers at their first year in driving are most
likely to be involved in car accident. Teenager inexperience leads to poor
decision making and a greater chance of car accidents. Graduated licensing
programs can help in prevent teen driver car accident by gaining experience
before they become fully licensed.
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• Unsafe Lane Change: When drivers mistakenly change their travel lane
without signaling or checking oncoming traffic, accident will occur.
Drivers who make a lane change should use car’s mirrors, signal and also
check blind spots carefully of the next lane, in other side, driver of next
lane should force to brake in order to make room for the vehicle to maintain
safe following distance.
2.2 Infrastructure
Building more and more infrastructures and new roads isn’t the answer to
traffic growth (White Paper a New Deal for Transport), it is just enough to
emphasis on making best use of existing road networks, with more priority given
to places with the worst safety records. Some of the faults in infrastructures are:
• Poorly constructed road (poor drainage, skid resistance, etc)
• Bad and light road mark paints
• Improper constructed zebra crossings (for pedestrian and cyclist) that are
hidden from drivers’ adequate sight distance.
• Lack of safety protection within working zone.
2.3 Vehicle
Improvements in vehicle safety have contributed significantly to reduce road
accidents or at least its severity.
Car has many parts, and any defective of those parts can cause serious
accident. Many vehicles were had a design problem especially old vehicle,
including Toyota’s unintended acceleration crashes and, Ford Explorer rollover
accidents. Many advanced modification and upgrading performed on the car
design every new generation of it, modern dual break system has reduced the
possibility of brake failure, in which, if one side of brake circuit fails the other side
can sufficiently stop the car, Anti Blockier system ABS prevent the wheels from
looking up in case of emergency braking beside to intelligent vehicle that became
to rise in these years such as self-driving vehicle.
Weather, tailgating, drowsy driving, road rage, driving under influence of
drugs and many other factors can be contributed as a causes of road crashes.
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3. Experiences and Programs in Road Safety
3.1 Developed Countries
Europe and other high income countries plan to decrease traffic deaths by 27
percent over the period 2000-2020 (3). The European Commission (EC) identifies
the primary causes of road accidents in the member state (4), as:
• Excessive and improper speed resulted in one third of death and serious
injuries.
• High risk accident site (black spots).
• Failure to wear a seatbelt or helmet, which can affect severity of accidents.
• Non-compliance with driving by professional drivers.
3.1.1 Sweden
Vision Zero: Sweden is the global leader in road safety practice. In spite of
this excellent record, in 1997 the Swedish Parliament introduced a new approach
to road safety called “Vision Zero” that is based on a refusal to accept human
deaths or lifelong suffering as a result of road accidents. Vision Zero in Sweden
requires fatalities and serious injuries to be reduced to zero by 2020. Vision Zero
explicitly state that responsibilities are shared both by a system of designer and
other road users.
Three key steps in an operational Vision Zero strategy include:
• Gradually aligning vehicle speed to the inherent safety of the system
• Improving vehicles to address driver behavior issues
• Stimulating the community to use the system in a safer way
The vision based on ethics “Every human being is unique and irreplaceable”,
assuming human mental capabilities are known and should form the basis for road
design, or in other words the road system must be designed to take account of
human error. Sweden also is unique in enforcement of traffic regulation that the
individual driver rather than vehicle must be prosecuted. For instance, for
speeding it is not sufficient for cameras to capture vehicle plate; there is a
requirement to prove who was actually driving the vehicle at the time of offence
was committed. Therefore, adherence of speed limit has improved from 50 percent
in the late of 19th to 80 percent in the first five years of 21th century, and 95
percent or better at camera sites.
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Vision Zero has been a more applicable program in most European countries
especially UK. However, Sweden records the lowest rate of death per capita all
over the world.
3.1.2 Great Britain
Tomorrow’s Roads: Safer for Everyone (2001-2010): It is a Britain program
include specific road safety recommendation, that mainly focusing on children
safety, aimed to reduce number of person fatalities and serious injuries to 40
percent, and reduce it in children to 50 percent by the year of 2010.
Program strategies:
• Children safety: the program recommends specific policies combined with
the traffic calming measures beside to safety educational programs that suit
with each children age group.
• Driver training and testing by learn drivers and prepare them for their
driving career, not just to pass a test beside to learn them more relevant to
today’s road conditions.
• Safer speed: the program carried out complete review of speed management
policies to determine where the problem lies, and suggest suitable solutions.
• Safer motorcycling: it is believe that better training and testing for both
rider and driver, help to make motorcycling safer.
• Safety for pedestrian and cyclists: by increasing safety measures on these
facilities, to encourage people walk and cycle instead of using a cars.
• Better enforcement: the program aim to efficiently apply the law with more
effective penalties.
Program Results: In 2010 the program result had shown that 46% percent
reduction in the number of fatality for all road user groups (5), as shown in
table 1 and figure. However, in 2010 Britain reach the lowest rate of road death
per capita in the world after Sweden.
Table1: Number of road accident fatalities in UK (2000, 2010) (5)
2000
857
127
605
1,665
155
All
Road
User
Groups
3,409
2010
405
111
403
835
96
1,850
Year
Pedestrian Cyclist
Motorcyclist
Car
rider/passenger Occupant
Other
road
user
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Number of fatalities
4,000
3,500
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Year (200..)
Figure1: Number of road accident fatalities in UK (2000 to 2010)
Road Safety Week: Road safety week is an annual event coordinated in the
UK by Brake. Brake is a safety charity works to prevent road deaths and injuries.
Road Safety Week aim to inspire communities to take action on road safety during
the week and beyond and also encourage professional in road safety to boost
awareness and engagement with the charity works, beside to promoting road
safety through media on national TV, radio and press.
3.1.3 Australia
National Road Safety Strategy (2011-2020): National Road Safety Strategy
was released by Australian Transport Council (ATC). The strategy vision is that
no person should be killed or seriously injured on roads. Safe roads, safe vehicles,
safe speeds and safe people, are the four key initiative areas of the strategy, with a
range of options for further consideration as a strategy progresses (8).
National Road Safety Action Plane (2015-2017): A new actions plan were
developed cooperatively by Commonwealth, intended to focus national efforts on
activities that support long-term safety improvement of Australia’s roads, vehicle
and capacity building work.
3.1.4 Canada
Canada’s Road Safety Strategy (2010-2015): The third Canada’s Road
safety strategy (2010-2015) vision is that Canada will have the safest road in the
world. As well four objectives are expected to result in safer road user,
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infrastructure and vehicles through raising public awareness to road safety and
enhancing enforcement beside to support road safety research.
3.1.5 Danish
Every Accident is One too Many (2001-2012): The vision of the Danish
road safety strategy was “Every Accident is One too Many: Road safety start with
you” This vision set a course toward a future road system without any traffic
accident whatsoever and retains focus on preventive measures. The vision based
on five strategies:
•
•
•
•
•
Road safety start with you: when the drivers followed three
effective rules; observing their speed limit, fastening their seatbelt
and never drink and drive.
Enhance the agreement between public and private sectors, and
transport service present a great potential for crashes preventions.
Speeding, Cyclists, alcohol and junctions are the focus of the
actions.
Set up a commission for road crashes, to obtain a systematic
knowledge of crash causes and circumstances.
Local road safety effort should be enhanced
3.1.6 Czech Republic
National Road Safety Strategy (2011-2020): Despite the reduction in the
number of fatality in Czech Republic during the first ten years of this century, it’s
ranked back to 18th among 27 EU countries to become within a group of worse
road accident record in the EU. Therefore, Czech Republic adapt the National
Road Safety program for ten years, aimed to reduce the number of fatalities to half
(70 to 35 per 1 million) by 2020, beneficiary of the past National Road Safety
strategy (2004-2010) and other EU countries
experiences.
3.1.7 United State
Livable Street: This program begins from
New York City, which is one of the most indemand destinations for visitors. The vision of
Livable Street is came to increase people
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dependency of walk rather than ride a car, with the idea that “if we continue
planning our streets and cars we will get more cars and traffic, conversely, if we
start planning our cities for people and places, we will get more people and
places”.
4. Road Safety in Jordan:
4.1 The Situation of Traffic Accidents in Jordan:
Jordan as one of the developing countries has suffered from the problem of
traffic accidents since 1990. Traffic accident costs Jordan of about 1.2% of its
GDP with annual increase of about 0.89%. Economic growth with the expanding
of roads network beside to the dramatic increase in the number of vehicles have
increased this problem. Traffic accident fatalities in Jordan (Figure 2) (9) for the
last ten years indicate that, there are almost a constant number of fatalities in
Jordan per year ranged between 600 and 1,000 person.
No
.
of
fat
ali
tie
s
year
Figure1: Number of road accident fatalities in Jordan (2004 to 2013) (9)
4.2 Jordan Road Safety Strategy (2015-2020):
It is a recommended strategy that benefits from European and developed
countries experiences in road safety, taken into consideration the limited
resources, the social culture and the life style in Jordan.
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4.2.1 Strategy Objective:
The main objective of this program is to reduce human death, pain and
suffering from the silent road killer machine (vehicle), beside to spread the
responsibility of road safety of all road users, with the idea quoted from Danish
experience that “Road Safety Start With You”.
4.2.2 Road accident main causes in Jordan:
• High traffic volumes, particularly in urban and downtown areas of major
cities, especially in Amman, Irbid and Al-Zarqa cities.
• The weakness of public transport.
• Speeding in school and congested zones, and disrespect and disobedience
of drivers to traffic control devices.
• Nepotism and slackens in application road safety issues, such as licensing
and infringements (7).
• The multiplicity of authorities concerned with traffic safety and the lack of
coordination between them.
4.2.3 Methodology and Solutions:
For a success and safe road system in Jordan, the following gaps should be
filled:
Education, training and awareness:
• Presence of courses and approaches within school curriculum that aim to
raise student’s awareness and education skills of road priorities and safety,
that appropriated with each age group.
• Take advantage of social networking sites in spreading awareness and
educational programs that suit all ages.
• Increase the technical competence of engineers and technicians who
concerned with the traffic operation.
• Intensification of media awareness campaigns in national TV, radio and
newspaper.
Enforcements:
• Develop policies that prevent trucks from using residential roads
• Develop policies that reduce the lack of pedestrian commitment to traffic
priorities (wrong road crossing).
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• Develop policies that Prevent cars from parking and infringement on
footpaths and punish those who do not abide
Distribute the responsibilities of all road users:
In order to success in the objective of saving people life, it is not necessary to
involve government bodies, business and private initiates, professional
organizations (transport companies, driving schools, etc.), individual citizens,
social organization, political and commercial entities in road safety issues, but just
involve all road users.
Other Measures:
• Increase people's dependence on public transport
• On-street parking management
• Increase in using advanced technologies regarding safety issues (Intelligent
Speed Adaptation ISA, Collision Avoidance System CICAS, changeable
message sign, intelligent transportation system, etc.)
The following table 2 proposes some other measures for achieving road
safety criterion
However, it would be rather to spend part of the money loss by road
accidents on road safety issues, and save the other part.
5. Conclusion
The following conclusions based were based upon successful countries
experiences in road safety:
• All of the road safety programs concentrate mainly on saving people life as
possible and reduce their pain and suffering from road accidents.
• All strategy should have specific period to start and end, and should be
checked every one or two years, not just to check points of success but also
to identify and improve points of failure, and finally to compare the results.
• Future research that concentrates on human factor in road accident is
required.
• Jordan road safety programs are not sufficient, extra effort must be made.
How is it beautiful that everyone returns to their homes, to their loved ones
after a long journey on the road safely and safety.
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Table2: Recommended strategies for road safety in Jordan in term of three road
components human, infrastructure and vehicle
Human
1- Behaviors
of
pedestrians
and
drivers should be
studied
and
evaluated
frequently.
2- Encourage
and
make it easier for
people to walk or
cycle
short
journeys,
and
reducing
car
dependency,
by
providing
safe,
clean and secure
pedestrian
facilities.
3- Nepotism should
be eliminated from
road safety related
issue, such as
licensing
and
infringements.
4- Better
enforcement.
Infrastructure
1- Recognition that
good engineering
reduce the risk of
accidents.
2- Strategies focus on
better
maintenance.
3- Long-term
improvement
of
walker and cyclist
way
on
local
transport.
4- Ensure
safety
continues to be the
main objective in
designing, building
and
maintaining
local roads.
5- Adequate
road
pavement
skid
resistance,
good
drainage
system
and good lighting
system should be
available
6- Use traffic calming
measures
within
schools
and
residential areas,
Vehicle
1- Increase in the use
of
modern
technology
of
transport
especially in safety
issues.
2- The application of
standards
for
vehicles
and
exempts
safety
tools
from
customs.
3- periodic
maintenance
for
public and private
vehicles
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6. References:
(1) World Health Organisation, 2009. Global status report on road safety: time
for action. World Health Organization, Geneva.
(2) Overseas road note 10, 1995. Costing road accidents in developing
countries. Transportation research laboratory TRL, London.
(3) Global
Driver
Risk
Management
“Alert
Driver”,
http://www.alertdriving.com/home/fleet-alertmagazine/international/human-error-accounts-90-road-accidents.
(4) John Whitelegg and Gary Haq, 2006. Vision Zero: Adopting a Target of
Zero for Road Traffic Fatalities and Serious Injuries. Stockholm
Environment Institute.
(5) UK Department of Transport, Road accidents and safety statistics guidence.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/road-accidents-and-safetystatistics-guidance
(6) Danish Road Safety Commission,2001. Every Accident is One too Many:
Road safety start with you. Danish Ministry of transport.
(7) Magableh, Grzebieta, 2013. The impact of culture on road safety in Jordan.
Transport and road safety research (TARS), Sydney, Australia.
(8) Australia Transport Council,2010. National Road Safety Strategy 20112020:Czech Republic, Australia.
(9) Jordan Traffic Institute, 2014. http://www.jti.psd.gov.jo/, Traffic Accident
Report in Jordan.
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