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Road accident rates: strategies and programmes for improving road traffic safety

European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery volume 42, pages 433–438 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Introduction

Nowadays, the problem of road accident rates is one of the most important health and social policy issues concerning the countries in all continents. Each year, nearly 1.3 million people worldwide lose their life on roads, and 20–50 million sustain severe injuries, the majority of which require long-term treatment.

Discussion

The objective of the study was to identify the most frequent, constantly occurring causes of road accidents, as well as outline actions constituting a basis for the strategies and programmes aiming at improving traffic safety on local and global levels. Comparative analysis of literature concerning road safety was performed, confirming that although road accidents had a varied and frequently complex background, their causes have changed only to a small degree over the years. The causes include: lack of control and enforcement concerning implementation of traffic regulation (primarily driving at excessive speed, driving under the influence of alcohol, and not respecting the rights of other road users (mainly pedestrians and cyclists), lack of appropriate infrastructure and unroadworthy vehicles.

Conclusions

The number of fatal accidents and severe injuries, resulting from road accidents, may be reduced through applying an integrated approach to safety on roads. The strategies and programmes for improving road traffic should include the following measures: reducing the risk of exposure to an accident, prevention of accidents, reduction in bodily injuries sustained in accidents, and reduction of the effects of injuries by improvement of post-accident medical care.

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Conflict of interest

Krzysztof Goniewicz, Mariusz Goniewicz, Witold Pawłowski and Piotr Fiedor declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Compliance with ethics guidelines

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Disaster Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, ul. Zwirki i Wigury 81 A, 02-091, Warszawa, Poland

    K. Goniewicz & W. Pawłowski

  2. Emergency Medicine Unit, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland

    M. Goniewicz

  3. Department of General and Transplantation Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, Warszawa, Poland

    P. Fiedor

Authors
  1. K. Goniewicz
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  2. M. Goniewicz
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  3. W. Pawłowski
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  4. P. Fiedor
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to K. Goniewicz.

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Goniewicz, K., Goniewicz, M., Pawłowski, W. et al. Road accident rates: strategies and programmes for improving road traffic safety. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 42, 433–438 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-015-0544-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-015-0544-6

Keywords

  • Road accidents
  • Road traffic safety
  • Haddon’s matrix
  • Public health