Cost-Effective Measures for Reducing Road Fatalities in the Short Term

Abstract

When traffic safety statistics in less developed countries (even those where enormous progress has been made in the last years) are compared with those of more advanced countries, it is evident that there is still a great deal to be done. Using Chile as a case study, we propose a set of measures to significantly reduce fatalities in the short term. A simple methodology is proposed to guide the process of selecting the most promising measures, taking into account their cost-effectiveness. Eight such measures are identified and their potential benefits and costs of implementation are estimated for our case study. Special care is taken in choosing measures aimed at protecting vulnerable road users who represent around 50% of road fatalities in Chile. The plan we propose has the potential to reduce 460 fatalities per year (i.e. 21%), as a conservative estimate. A discussion on the transferability of these results to other developing nations is offered.