Publications
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Economics & Finance
Multilateral Development Banks Road Safety Financing in Low and Middle-Income Countries: 2018–2022
May 2023
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Road Infrastructure
Guide pour l’Intégration de la Sécurité dans la Conception des Routes (French)
July 2022
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The Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) Road Safety Working Group, established in 2009, is comprised of ten member institutions that are uniquely positioned to support countries in reaching their considerable and challenging road safety financing needs.
In early 2023, the working group reviewed progress made by the MDBs in financing road safety activities in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), and found that MDBs collectively committed $3.6 billion toward road safety initiatives in developing countries during the period 2018-2022. Three standalone road safety projects—in Bangladesh (World Bank), India (Asian Development Bank and World Bank), and Romania (European Investment Bank)—totaled $912 million in MDBs financing, which is more than one-quarter of the amount committed during this timeframe.
The review is based on details of road and urban mobility project financing provided by seven of the working group's ten members.

The World Bank estimates a significant funding gap in road safety of 260 billion to achieve SDG 3.6 and 11.2 in the next ten years, and recognizes that this gap cannot be closed through public funding alone and thus mobilization of private capital is required. The impacts of road traffic crashes reach far into the economy and can cost L/MICs as much as 6% of their GDP. The costs of a road traffic crash do not end at the roadside; they create ripple effects throughout the wider economy. Loss of income, property damage, insurance premiums, loss of taxes, and burdens on the health sector are just some of the far-reaching costs associated with road traffic crashes. Road traffic crashes can cost countries as much as 6 percent of their GDP and trap families in poverty as they lose income generating potential and focus on providing lifetime care.
This report examines the potential for private capital mobilization to close this gap. The report investigates the market failure to appropriately account for the cost of road crashes, which prevents private capital from flowing to road safety investments. The growth of socially responsible investing and the sustainable finance market offers a new opportunity to address this market failure. The report proposes different business models and financing instruments to channel private investment into road safety projects. These investment structures consist of subnational, public-private partnerships (PPPs) and corporate investments that can leverage the growing sustainable finance market, including social and sustainability-linked financings (SLFs).
The report also develops indicators that can be used to tie the cost of financing to the attainment of road safety targets, incentivizing borrowers to commit to road safety as part of SLFs. The report examines the enabling environment for structuring investable road safety projects in a sample of countries, looking at the barriers and opportunities, and proposing risks and mitigation strategies, like blended finance mechanisms and stable revenue sources, for long-term sustainability of road safety investments.

Ce guide se concentre sur les éléments des conceptions de routes et de bordures de route sûres pour les réseaux routiers qui peuvent offrir une mobilité sûre à tous les usagers de la route.
Une réduction substantielle des décès sur les routes ne sera réalisable que si des efforts concertés sont déployés, en suivant l'approche du « Système sûr » impliquant tous les éléments de la sécurité routière, de la gestion et de la prestation. Cela inclut tous les piliers du Système sûr — à commencer par la gestion de la sécurité routière, les routes et bordures de route sûres, la vitesse sûre, les véhicules sûrs, les usagers de la route sûrs et les soins post-accident. Ce guide se concentre sur les éléments des conceptions de routes et de bordures de route sûres pour les réseaux routiers qui peuvent offrir une mobilité sûre à tous les usagers de la route, ainsi que sur les changements complémentaires pour améliorer les vitesses, la sécurité des véhicules, les comportements des usagers de la route et les soins post-accident. Une conception équilibrée des routes doit prendre en compte ces éléments complémentaires du système pour maximiser les avantages en termes de sécurité. L'énergie portée par un objet en mouvement est proportionnelle au carré de sa vitesse. Une « bordure de route indulgente » bien conçue garantit que cette énergie est dispersée en cas de collision et, par conséquent, moins d'énergie est transférée aux occupants.
La conception des infrastructures routières joue un rôle vital dans les résultats en matière de sécurité routière. Des infrastructures sûres soutiennent les autres piliers de la sécurité routière en encourageant un comportement approprié des usagers de la route (comme une vitesse appropriée et une position correcte sur la voie) et en offrant un environnement routier indulgent en cas d'erreur. Une infrastructure routière mal conçue peut entraîner des comportements dangereux des usagers de la route. Une des principales réalisations de l'approche du Système sûr est que les conducteurs font des erreurs et continueront à en faire, même si nous pouvons réduire leur fréquence. Cette erreur des usagers de la route a longtemps été reconnue comme un contributeur significatif aux mauvais résultats en matière de sécurité routière. Cependant, les routes, pour une vitesse donnée, peuvent être conçues pour réduire la probabilité de collisions, et il existe des preuves très claires que la gravité des résultats lorsque des collisions se produisent est significativement influencée par la conception de la route. Même si une collision se produit encore, une infrastructure routière améliorée peut sauver de nombreuses vies et prévenir des blessures débilitantes.
L'approche du Système sûr souligne qu'une réponse partagée est nécessaire pour aborder la sécurité routière. Cela signifie que les usagers de la route continueront à assumer la responsabilité de leurs actions, par exemple en étant vigilants et en respectant les règles de la route. Cependant, il est également reconnu que les gestionnaires et les concepteurs de routes ont une responsabilité significative de fournir un système routier qui protège tous les usagers de la route. Cela peut être réalisé grâce à des conceptions appropriées des routes.

This guide focuses on elements of safe road and roadside designs for road networks that can provide safe mobility to all road users
A substantial reduction in road deaths will only be feasible if concerted efforts are made, following the “Safe System” approach involving all elements of road safety, management, and delivery. This includes all pillars of the Safe System—starting from road safety management, safe roads and roadsides, safe speed, safe vehicles, safe road users, and post-crash care. This guide focuses on elements of safe road and roadside designs for road networks that can provide safe mobility to all road users, as well as complementary changes to improve speeds, vehicle safety, road user behaviors, and post-crash care. A balanced road design must take into account these complementary system elements to maximize safety benefits. The energy carried by a moving object is proportional to the square of its speed. A well-designed “forgiving roadside” ensures that this energy is dispersed in a crash, and as a result, less energy is transferred to the occupants.
Road infrastructure design plays a vital role in road safety outcomes. Safe infrastructure supports other road safety pillars by encouraging appropriate road user behavior (such as appropriate speed and correct lane position) and by providing a forgiving road environment if things go wrong. Poorly designed road infrastructure can give rise to dangerous road user behavior. One of the key realizations of the Safe System approach is that drivers make mistakes and will continue to do so, even if we can reduce how often these occur. This road user error has long been recognized as a significant contributor to poor road safety outcomes. However, roads of any given speed can be designed to reduce the likelihood of crashes occurring, and there is very clear evidence that the severity of outcomes when crashes do occur is significantly influenced by the road design. Even if a crash still occurs, improved road infrastructure can save many lives and prevent debilitating injuries.
The Safe System approach highlights that a shared response is required to address road safety. This means that road users will continue to take responsibility for their actions, for instance by being alert and compliant with road rules. However, it is also recognized that road managers and designers have a significant responsibility to provide a road system that protects all road users. This can be achieved through appropriate designs of roads.

Este guia se concentra em elementos de projetos de estradas e acostamentos seguros para redes rodoviárias que podem fornecer mobilidade segura a todos os usuários das estradas
Uma redução substancial nas mortes nas estradas só será viável se esforços conjuntos forem feitos, seguindo a abordagem do "Sistema Seguro" envolvendo todos os elementos de segurança rodoviária, gerenciamento e entrega. Isso inclui todos os pilares do Sistema Seguro — começando pelo gerenciamento de segurança rodoviária, estradas e acostamentos seguros, velocidade segura, veículos seguros, usuários seguros das estradas e cuidados pós-acidente. Este guia se concentra em elementos de projetos de estradas e acostamentos seguros para redes rodoviárias que podem fornecer mobilidade segura a todos os usuários das estradas, bem como mudanças complementares para melhorar as velocidades, a segurança dos veículos, os comportamentos dos usuários das estradas e os cuidados pós-acidente. Um projeto rodoviário equilibrado deve levar em consideração esses elementos complementares do sistema para maximizar os benefícios de segurança. A energia transportada por um objeto em movimento é proporcional ao quadrado de sua velocidade. Um "acostamento tolerante" bem projetado garante que essa energia seja dispersada em um acidente e, como resultado, menos energia seja transferida para os ocupantes.
O projeto de infraestrutura rodoviária desempenha um papel vital nos resultados de segurança rodoviária. A infraestrutura segura dá suporte a outros pilares da segurança viária, incentivando o comportamento adequado do usuário da estrada (como velocidade adequada e posição correta na faixa) e fornecendo um ambiente de estrada tolerante se as coisas derem errado. Uma infraestrutura rodoviária mal projetada pode dar origem a um comportamento perigoso do usuário da estrada. Uma das principais conclusões da abordagem do Sistema Seguro é que os motoristas cometem erros e continuarão a fazê-lo, mesmo que possamos reduzir a frequência com que ocorrem. Esse erro do usuário da estrada é há muito reconhecido como um contribuinte significativo para resultados ruins de segurança viária. No entanto, estradas de qualquer velocidade podem ser projetadas para reduzir a probabilidade de ocorrência de acidentes, e há evidências muito claras de que a gravidade dos resultados quando os acidentes ocorrem é significativamente influenciada pelo projeto da estrada. Mesmo que um acidente ainda ocorra, uma infraestrutura rodoviária melhorada pode salvar muitas vidas e evitar ferimentos debilitantes.
A abordagem do Sistema Seguro destaca que uma resposta compartilhada é necessária para abordar a segurança viária. Isso significa que os usuários da estrada continuarão a assumir a responsabilidade por suas ações, por exemplo, estando alertas e em conformidade com as regras de trânsito. No entanto, também é reconhecido que os gerentes e projetistas de estradas têm uma responsabilidade significativa de fornecer um sistema viário que proteja todos os usuários da estrada. Isto pode ser alcançado por meio de projetos de estradas apropriados.