Publications
1-10 of 46
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Speed Management
Guide for Safe Speeds: Managing Traffic Speeds to Save Lives and Improve Livability
March 2024
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Speed Management
Speed Management Research: A Summary Comparison of Literature Between High-Income and Low and Middle-Income Countries
February 2024
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Speed Management
Speed Management: A Road Safety Manual for Decision-Makers and Practitioners (2nd ed.)
November 2023
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Post-Crash Health Care
Beyond the Numbers: Estimating the Disability Burden of Road Traffic Injuries
November 2023
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Road Safety Data
Improving Road Traffic Injury Statistics in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
November 2023
- National decision-makers recognize the issue of underreporting but tend to dismiss higher estimates by global statistical models.
- Most countries use WHO GSRRS estimates.
- National health surveys and censuses in LMICs often contain relevant information, and minor modifications can greatly improve their usage for such measurements.
- Incorporating national health survey data into global statistical models can help resolve discrepancies and increase confidence in estimates.
- Integrating epidemiological data sources into global statistical models (GBD, GHE, GSRRS) to reduce discrepancies and increase confidence in their estimates.
- Including relevant questions in upcoming national data collections to facilitate epidemiological measurements of road traffic injuries.
- Encouraging local involvement in data production for better estimates.
- Enhancing coordination between the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the World Health Organization to improve estimates and reduce inconsistencies.
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Road Users
Drink-Driving: A Road Safety Manual for Decision-Makers and Practitioners (2nd ed.)
November 2022
Speed is one of the main road safety risk factors and is universally recognized as the leading contributor to road fatalities and serious injuries. But there is good news: the speed problem is solvable. Interventions that are proven to be effective exist, and it is well understood where and how they should be applied.
The newly published “Guide for Safe Speeds: Managing Traffic Speeds to Save Lives and Improve Livability” outlines interventions that work and provides guidance on how to select and implement speed limits that are safe for all road users. It also explains how barriers to changing traffic speeds—which are often based on lack of knowledge or misunderstandings—can be overcome.
A primary feature of the guide is its comprehensiveness. The guide covers all types of roads—from city streets to inter-urban roads and motorways (existing or new); all types of road users—from vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists to heavy motorized traffic; all types of speed limit changes—from national general speed limits to localized changes based on risk factors; all types of challenging constraints—from lack of resources to lack of data; and all types of countries—from low-income to high-income.
Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have been experiencing growth in vehicle travel and mobility but have not yet realized road safety gains experienced by high-income countries. Excessive and inappropriate speed is known to be a major cause of road crashes, injuries and deaths. Thus, speed management is considered a key initiative for improving road safety outcomes worldwide and has been applied successfully in most high-income countries.
Proven interventions do not necessarily have the same impacts in LMICs, or may not be feasible to apply, due significant differences in traffic mix, road user behavior, road design and vehicle standards.
This document summarizes current available knowledge about speed, its effects on safety, mobility and emissions, along with potential safety effectiveness of speed management initiatives in the LMIC context. Knowledge gaps for LMICs are clearly referenced for further consideration.
The knowledge summary provides a useful reference for practitioners wishing to inform themselves about traffic speeds, their selection and impacts on safety outcomes, mobility and emissions. The LMIC knowledge gaps will be useful in considering future research and data priorities.
The WHO, World Bank, FIA Foundation and Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) produced a series of good practice manuals, following the publication of the World report on road traffic injury prevention in 2004, which provide guidance on implementation of interventions to address specific risk factors in road safety. The topics covered in the initial series of manuals were: helmets (2006), drinking and driving (2007), speed management (2008), seat-belts and child restraints (2009), data systems (2010), pedestrian safety (2013), road safety legislation (2013), powered two- and three-wheeler safety (2017) and cyclist safety (2020).
Since the series of manuals was first published, the scientific evidence base relating to various risk factors and the effectiveness of interventions have continued expanding. Contemporary research has refined our knowledge about specific risk factors, such as distracted driving, and vehicle impact speed and risk of death for pedestrians. New issues and practices have arisen, such as a tropical helmet standard and an anti-braking control standard for motorcycles. New and existing interventions have been implemented and evaluated, with increasing application in LMICs. Research attention and policy response have also increasingly been applied to emerging road safety issues including e-bikes, drugs other than alcohol, fleet safety, urban mobility, micro mobility options, air and noise pollution, public transport and technological advances.
As a result of these developments, the good practice manuals required revision so that they can continue to be key references for road safety policy implementation and research. This is particularly important, given the emphasis placed on road safety within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and because of the global impetus to reduce road deaths and injuries, resulting from the declaration of the two United Nations’ Decades of Action for Road Safety (2011–2020 and 2021– 2030). The manuals have been revised to reflect these developments as they continue to be valuable resources providing evidence-based and cost-effective solutions to save lives and reduce injuries.
The management of speed remains one of the biggest challenges facing road safety practitioners around the world and calls for a concerted, long-term, multidisciplinary response. The speed at which a vehicle travels directly influences the risk of a crash as well as the severity of injuries sustained, and the likelihood of death resulting from that crash. This manual advocates for a strong and strategic approach to creating a Safe System, with speed management at its heart. Reducing motor vehicle speeds in areas where the road user mix includes a high volume of vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists, and on non-divided rural roads, is especially important.
It is well-documented that road crashes claim around 1.35 million lives each year and rank as the eighth leading cause of death globally, causing huge burdens for economies, health systems, and transport networks. However, beneath the sobering fatality statistics lies a largely unexplored landscape: the staggering toll of disabilities induced by road crashes. Until now, the focus of road safety research and policy discourse has predominantly revolved around fatalities, which has limited our understanding of traffic-related injuries and disability burdens at the individual, community, and national level.
To address this critical knowledge gap, this pioneering study—involving over 2,300 patients hospitalized for road crash injuries—provides valuable insights into the prevalence, causes, and long-term impacts of crash-related disabilities. By broadening the discussion beyond fatalities to the often-overlooked issue of disability, the report paves the way for a more holistic perspective on road safety impacts, which can inform more effective road safety policies.
This report is a call to action for comprehensive and context-specific interventions that encompass both the transport and health sectors. Effective measures may include implementing safety regulations, enhancing emergency services, strengthening rehabilitative care, and expanding social safety nets to ease the financial burden on crash survivors. Collaborative efforts between governments, global and regional organizations, civil society, and other stakeholders will be indispensable.
Road safety is a global health and economic issue that disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Precise data is crucial for understanding the full scope of the problem and developing effective interventions, but LMICs struggle to collect comprehensive data due to limited resources, underdeveloped health systems, and inconsistent data collection processes.
To overcome reporting gaps, three major global statistical models are utilized: The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Status Reports on Road Safety (GSRRS), and WHO Global Health Estimates (GHE). However, discrepancies exist among these models and between them and official country statistics. They often estimate significantly higher road traffic fatalities and injuries than official LMIC statistics.
This GRSF study identifies the reasons behind statistical discrepancies and outlines strategies to strengthen modeling efforts. This involved qualitative research, a systematic review of national data availability, and four case studies in Brazil, Cambodia, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.
Key findings include:
Recommendations include:
To achieve the goal of the Second United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety (reducing road traffic fatalities and injuries by 50% by 2030), substantial resources need to be allocated to road safety and accurate reporting and statistical estimates are required.
Across the developing world, countries are experiencing rapid growth in urbanization and motorization. While high motorization rates potentially meant hat more people will be able to claim the benefits of improved accessibility to goods and services as a consequence of enhanced mobility, there are questions about the sustainability of this future. Will countries be able to build and maintain infrastructure to accommodate increasing numbers of vehicles? Will the increasing number of vehicles and their characteristics support attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Will they put in jeopardy countries’ ability to meet their climate commitments under their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)? From a development impact standpoint, the nature of a country’s motor vehicle stock and how it grows affects three key and tangible outcomes.
First, the quality of the motor vehicle stock affects road safety outcomes—that is, the number of people killed or seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes. The characteristics of vehicles and their fitness or roadworthiness can affect fatality and serious injury outcomes. Second, the quality of the motor vehicle fleet affects air quality, particularly in cities. Motor vehicles are a key source of harmful air pollution, including carbon monoxide (CO), fine particulates (PM2.5), sulfur oxides (SOx), and ozone precursors (oxides of nitrogen and various hydrocarbons), and the amount of these pollutants they emit is directly related to how the vehicle was built and how well it is maintained. Finally, the profile of the vehicle fleet—what is the size and weight of vehicles in the fleet, how big are their engines, what kind of power control technology do they use, and how did their manufacturers engineer the technology of the vehicle to balance power with efficiency—affects the (fossil) fuel consumption of the vehicle stock as a whole, and, consequently, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions profile of the road transport sector.
This report presents the World Bank’s Motorization Management (MM) framework, which is intended to support client countries in the development of policies and measures aimed at managing vehicle stocks in a proactive, phased, and systematic manner to make them safer, cleaner, and more fuel efficient. The MM framework reflects a series of policy considerations and programs that can be implemented to improve the quality of fuels and vehicles in a country’s stock.
This manual provides guidance and evidence for decision-makers and practitioners that should lead to an increase in the use of vehicle occupant restraints, such as seat-belts for adults and car seats for babies and children. It draws on experience from countries that have succeeded in achieving and sustaining high levels of vehicle occupant restraint use, and builds on new evidence, including from low and middle-income countries.
Safe, quality helmets reduce the risk of death in a road crash by over six times, and reduce the risk of brain injury by up to 74%. Head trauma is the leading cause of death for riders, and motorcycles continue to proliferate rapidly. Yet the use of helmets in many low and middle-income countries remains low.
The second edition of the Helmets Manual offers guidance to help decision makers and practitioners put in place the comprehensive set of laws, regulations and actions needed to increase the use of safe, quality helmets to save lives.
This manual provides guidance for decision-makers and practitioners to reduce the prevalence of drink driving and associated road trauma. It draws on experience from countries that have succeeded in achieving and sustaining reductions in alcohol-related road trauma, and includes recommendations for developing and implementing drink driving legislation, and advice on how to monitor and evaluate progress.
Les accidents de la route entraînent environ 1,35 million de décès et 50 millions de blessures dans le monde chaque année, dont plus de 90 % se produisent dans les pays à revenu faible ou intermédiaire (PRFI). Outre la douleur et la souffrance évidentes que cela inflige aux individus et aux communautés, ces décès et blessures représentent également un lourd fardeau financier, en particulier pour les PRFI, en ralentissant la croissance économique.
L’ampleur de la réponse actuelle à cette crise continue ne correspond pas à l’ampleur du problème. De plus, les ressources limitées consacrées à la sécurité routière sont souvent dépensées pour des interventions inefficaces ou sous-optimales. Bien que les connaissances en matière de sécurité routière se soient améliorées au cours des dernières décennies, il est encore nécessaire d'améliorer la prise de décision lors de la sélection et de l'application d'interventions efficaces basées sur des preuves. Les interventions efficaces sont celles qui réduisent les blessures mortelles et graves.
Le Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF) de la Banque mondiale a élaboré ce guide basé sur des preuves intitulé « Ce qui fonctionne et ce qui ne fonctionne pas » en matière de sécurité routière en réponse au besoin critique de solutions efficaces basées sur des preuves.
Ce guide a été préparé pour aider les lecteurs à comprendre que toutes les interventions en matière de sécurité routière ne sont pas également efficaces et que ce qui semble être des approches « de bon sens » pour choisir des interventions de sécurité routière ne sera souvent pas le meilleur choix. Bien que certaines apportent des avantages, d'autres ont des impacts très limités voire négatifs, malgré le fait qu'elles soient couramment – et à tort – recommandées ou acceptées. Le guide offre une gamme de recommandations en mettant l'accent sur les interventions dans les PRFI, bien que les informations puissent également être pertinentes pour tous les pays. Le contenu sera précieux pour ceux qui travaillent sur la sécurité routière au niveau des politiques ou des praticiens, y compris les chefs d'équipe techniques de la Banque mondiale et d'autres personnes cherchant à établir, développer ou améliorer des programmes de sécurité routière dans les PRFI.
Le guide situe les connaissances sur les interventions basées sur des preuves dans un contexte de « Système sûr », en fournissant des conseils sur chacun des piliers du Système sûr (gestion de la sécurité routière, routes sûres, vitesses sûres, véhicules sûrs, usagers de la route sûrs et soins post-accident) tout en reconnaissant que les solutions basées sur des preuves doivent être tirées de tous les piliers pour produire des résultats efficaces en matière de sécurité routière. Au cœur de ce document se trouve un tableau récapitulatif avec un aperçu des interventions bénéfiques et non bénéfiques basées sur des preuves scientifiques solides. Cela est suivi d'informations plus détaillées, y compris des études de cas et des références à la base de preuves pour soutenir le résumé.
De nombreuses interventions sûres sur les routes sont recommandées pour adoption, y compris les transports publics intégrés, les systèmes de barrières latérales et centrales, les médianes, les infrastructures pour soutenir une vitesse de fonctionnement appropriée pour les usagers de la route, les giratoires, la séparation de niveau et les interventions pour réduire l'exposition aux risques aux intersections, les trottoirs et passages piétons, les installations séparées pour les bicyclettes et les motocyclettes, et les panneaux de signalisation et le marquage au sol (y compris le marquage tactile-audio). Certaines de ces interventions sont très efficaces, avec une réduction allant jusqu'à 70 ou 80 % des décès et des blessures graves (par exemple, les barrières de sécurité et les giratoires).
Diverses interventions liées à la vitesse produisent également des avantages significatifs, certaines étant capables de presque éliminer les décès et les blessures graves. Des exemples d'interventions efficaces sur la vitesse incluent le ralentissement de la circulation (y compris les ralentisseurs et les chicanes), les giratoires, les intersections et passages surélevés, les traitements d'entrée, les limites de vitesse inférieures (y compris les zones de 30 km/h (20 mph) pour les piétons) et les radars automatiques.
Diverses interventions basées sur les usagers de la route ont été mises en œuvre au fil des ans, avec des exemples efficaces incluant une pratique supervisée extensive sur la route et/ou des systèmes de permis de conduire gradués dans le cadre du système de délivrance des permis de conduire, une augmentation de l'âge d'admissibilité au permis de conduire, une formation et des tests de perception des dangers, l'éducation et les campagnes publiques dans le cadre d'une stratégie intégrée (en particulier la communication sur l'application de la loi pour augmenter la dissuasion générale), l'application de la loi, les pénalités, les verrous d'alcool, la surveillance de la fatigue et de la vitesse, et l'augmentation des taux de port du casque.
Les principales interventions basées sur les véhicules comprennent l'application de normes minimales de sécurité des véhicules et les évaluations des véhicules (via le Programme mondial d'évaluation des voitures neuves, ou « NCAP »), les ceintures de sécurité, l'entretien périodique des véhicules, les feux diurnes, les pare-chocs arrière sur les camions, le contrôle électronique de la stabilité et d'autres technologies avancées pour les véhicules.
Les soins post-accident améliorés peuvent également produire de meilleurs résultats en matière de sécurité routière, y compris des systèmes pour améliorer le temps de réponse d'urgence, de meilleurs soins d'urgence, une amélioration des compétences en premiers secours pour le public et une amélioration des soins hospitaliers.
Tout aussi important, le rapport identifie également des exemples clairs où les interventions ne sont pas efficaces. Les pires de ces interventions sont celles qui augmentent le risque. Cela inclut l'augmentation de la vitesse de déplacement sans améliorer la qualité des infrastructures de sécurité, la plupart des formes d'éducation et de formation des conducteurs et motocyclistes après l'obtention du permis, et de nombreuses (mais pas toutes) formes d'éducation des conducteurs en milieu scolaire (telles que celles qui cherchent à améliorer les compétences de conduite). L'augmentation du risque est généralement due au fait que ces initiatives augmentent le niveau de confiance, conduisant à une prise de risque accrue. D'autres interventions qui n'ont pas démontré de bénéfices pour la sécurité doivent être évitées. Cela inclut les systèmes de permis via demande ou paiement, les programmes de formation ou d'éducation dans les écoles visant à améliorer les connaissances en matière de sécurité routière (y compris les visites ad hoc d'experts ou d'enthousiastes en sécurité routière), et les campagnes d'éducation menées isolément.
Il existe des interventions alternatives efficaces pour chacune de celles-ci comme décrit dans ce document, et elles devraient être appliquées à la place. Il est extrêmement important que les ressources ne soient pas gaspillées sur des interventions inefficaces au nom de la sécurité routière, mais plutôt que des interventions de sécurité routière basées sur des preuves soient mises en œuvre.
Il existe une variété de documents disponibles sur la question de l'efficacité des interventions en matière de sécurité routière, dont beaucoup sont référencés ici. Cependant, il existe quelques points clés de différence et de valeur ajoutée dans ce guide, y compris une synthèse des preuves sur un large éventail d'interventions et un contraste entre les interventions efficaces et non efficaces, permettant aux lecteurs de comparer les options. Lorsqu'une intervention non efficace est identifiée, des interventions efficaces viables sont fournies, soutenant ainsi la prise de décision. Le guide offre également des conseils directs à ceux qui travaillent dans les PRFI, en s'appuyant sur des sources d'information clés lorsque celles-ci sont disponibles. De manière importante, des preuves concises mais robustes sont fournies pour chacun des piliers du Système sûr.
Il est nécessaire de continuer à renforcer la base de connaissances sur les interventions efficaces en matière de sécurité routière, en particulier dans les PRFI où il existe un certain nombre de lacunes en matière de connaissances. Le contenu de ce guide représente un résumé utile et à jour des connaissances actuelles pour application.