Publications

Objective: The value of a statistical life (VSL) is a key input for cost-benefit analysis (CBA) in the context of road safety and for calculations of the socio-economic costs of road crashes. However, many countries, especially low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), lack country-specific VSL estimates. To address this, value transfer is often used, where VSL estimates from other countries are adapted to local situations to estimate the VSL in the countries with no VSL estimates. This paper presents new guidance for VSL value transfer in the context of road safety.

Method: A unit value transfer approach is applied, which implies that a base VSL is determined and used to estimate the VSL in other countries. We collected VSL estimates from 32 countries worldwide to determine base VSLs for both high-income countries (HIC) and LMIC. According to the literature, the VSL is strongly correlated with income per capita. Therefore, income elasticities from the literature are applied to account for the impact of per capita income on the VSL.

Results: The resulting VSL transfer functions are VSL = 0.404*(Y/5,726)1.2 for LMIC and VSL = 3.206*(Y/42,087)0.8 for HIC, where VSL is the VSL in million USD and Y is the Gross National Income per capita (USD, 2020 prices). The VSL ranges from approximately 22,000 USD to 1.1 million USD in LMIC and from 1.2 million USD to 4.8 million USD in HIC.

Conclusions: We recommend applying this VSL transfer approach for cost-benefit analysis and road crash costing in countries lacking appropriate country-specific VSL. Moreover, this study highlights that, despite the growing interest in LMIC in research on VSL, the number of studies in these countries is still limited, emphasizing the need for more VSL studies. Finally, developing transfer functions for non-fatal injuries is recommended, which is an essential input for CBA as well.

The burden of road traffic injuries is a significant global challenge requiring urgent attention and investment. By integrating road safety investments with broader development goals and leveraging innovative financing solutions such as labeled sustainable bonds and loans, available financing for road safety projects can be dramatically increased.

The societal, economic, and human benefits of improving road safety are extensive, making it a critical priority for national agendas. Through strategic investments in road safety, economic burdens can be mitigated, long-term growth promoted, and a safer, more equitable world created for all.

The multilateral development banks -- together with the Global Road Safety Facility and with strong donor support -- can help countries catalyze the sustainable finance market to fund high-impact and results-oriented road safety projects. 

This GRSF-funded study explores the medical, economic, and social costs of road traffic accidents (RTAs), particularly focusing on individuals with permanent disabilities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), RTAs are a global public health crisis, ranked as the 12th leading cause of death and the primary cause of mortality among children and young adults. While the UN's Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021–2030) aims to reduce RTA deaths, the study argues that more focus is needed on injuries and the long-term impact on those left disabled by RTAs.

Building on GRSF’s report Beyond The Numbers: Estimating the Disability Burden of Road Traffic Injuries (Mitra et al., 2023), this project examines data from Namibia and South Africa and interviews with experts to highlight the often-overlooked challenges faced by RTA-related disability survivors. These individuals encounter unique issues—such as brain injuries, psychological trauma, and sudden financial burdens—that require specific support mechanisms beyond general disability frameworks.

Economic losses from RTAs are substantial, with WHO estimating global costs up to $1.8 trillion annually. However, existing research focuses mainly on medical costs and productivity losses, neglecting broader social impacts. Data on the prevalence of permanent disabilities varies, underscoring the need for standardized research.

The study calls for integrating disability concerns into road safety policies, emphasizing that improved enforcement in low- and middle-income countries could prevent disabilities and reduce societal costs. Ultimately, it advocates for recognizing RTA-related disabilities as a critical issue within global health, disability policy, and development agendas.

Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a critical public health issue in Jordan, as highlighted in the 2022 Annual Report of Traffic Accidents from the Jordan Public Security Directorate. With 169,409 crashes recorded in 2022, resulting in 562 deaths and 11,510 injuries, RTIs have emerged as the leading cause of death for children and young people, and the second-leading cause for adults aged 20–64.

This analytical research study aims to understand RTI-induced disabilities in Jordan, identify contributing factors, and assess the associated costs for road traffic crash victims. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research included quantitative and qualitative data collection through hospital-based surveillance and follow-up surveys at one- and three months post-injury. The study involved six public and private hospitals across Jordan. Key informant interviews with stakeholders from various sectors were conducted to gain comprehensive insights.

The study's findings reveal that most RTI patients were male (79%) with an average age of 34 years. Crashes predominantly occurred during early mornings and night hours, involving mainly cars (72%) and motorcycles/bicycles (40%). A significant number of patients (74%) received prehospital care, primarily from ambulance staff. Most patients (66%) were fully conscious upon arrival at the emergency room.

Injury analysis showed that 58% of patients had a single injury, with extremities being the most affected area. Financially, 49% of patients incurred immediate costs upon hospital admission, and follow-up care also resulted in out-of-pocket expenses, particularly for physiotherapy and medications.

The study indicated that 79% of patients experienced some disability at the one-month follow-up, with varying degrees from mild to extreme. By the third month, 73% reported no disability, though 26% continued to experience mild impairments.

This study underscores the significant burden of RTIs and associated disabilities in Jordan, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to reduce injuries and robust long-term care to support affected individuals.

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.

La velocidad es uno de los principales factores de riesgo para la seguridad vial y se reconoce universalmente como la principal causa de muertes y lesiones graves en carretera. Pero hay buenas noticias: el problema de la velocidad tiene solución. Existen intervenciones de eficacia comprobada, y se comprende bien dónde y cómo aplicarlas.

La recién publicada "Guía para Velocidades Seguras: Gestión de la Velocidad del Tráfico para Salvar Vidas y Mejorar la Habitabilidad" describe intervenciones eficaces y ofrece orientación sobre cómo seleccionar e implementar límites de velocidad seguros para todos los usuarios de la vía. También explica cómo superar las barreras para cambiar la velocidad del tráfico, que a menudo se basan en la falta de conocimiento o malentendidos.

Una característica principal de la guía es su exhaustividad. Abarca todo tipo de vías, desde calles urbanas hasta carreteras interurbanas y autopistas (existentes o nuevas); todo tipo de usuarios de la vía, desde usuarios vulnerables como peatones y ciclistas hasta tráfico motorizado denso; todo tipo de cambios en los límites de velocidad, desde los límites generales nacionales hasta los cambios localizados basados ​​en factores de riesgo. todo tipo de limitaciones desafiantes, desde la falta de recursos hasta la falta de datos, y todo tipo de países, desde los de bajos ingresos hasta los de altos ingresos.

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.