This article was downloaded by: [Ondokuz Mayis Universitesine] On: 07 November 2014, At: 20:19 Publisher: Taylor & Francis Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/nics20

Road safety: laws and implementation Geetam Tiwari Published online: 17 Dec 2013.

To cite this article: Geetam Tiwari (2013) Road safety: laws and implementation, International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion, 20:4, 305-306, DOI: 10.1080/17457300.2013.866728 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17457300.2013.866728

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http:// www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion, 2013 Vol. 20, No. 4, 305–306, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17457300.2013.866728

EDITORIAL

Downloaded by [Ondokuz Mayis Universitesine] at 20:19 07 November 2014

Road safety: laws and implementation Use of active and passive safety measures has been recommended by several experts to reduce the mortality and morbidity in traffic crashes. Only 28 countries, covering 7% of the world population, have comprehensive road safety laws on five key risk factors: drinking and driving, speeding, failing to use motorcycle helmets, seat belts, and child restraints (World Health Organisation [WHO], 2013). Use of seat belts in cars was recommended as one of the most effective measures for traffic safety in an earlier report (WHO, 2004). Since their introduction, seat belts have saved countless lives and prevented many injuries; however, a seat belt is effective only if it is worn properly. Research shows that unless seat belt wearing is mandated by law, its use remains low. However making it mandatory has been a slow process, as it became a law in each state at a different time in the USA.1 Nearly 70% of the world population is now covered by seat belt law (WHO, 2013); however, its implementation remains weak. In this issue, we have submissions from Vietnam, Mexico, Qatar, Nigeria, Kuwait, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Great Britain, Russia, Germany, and Iran. Four of the five articles focus on aspects of the safety of car occupants and examine seat belt and child restraint use. All the other essays examine various attitudes and issues related to safety and mobility. It is now becoming obvious that seat belt use in vehicles distinctly contributes to an increase in the safety of the passengers in the vehicle. Ricardo Pezez-Nunez et al. have contributed an essay on the safety factor of child restraint and seat belt use in Mexican cities. All three cities covered in this study have sub-national legislation for obligatory seat belt use, while the compulsory use of child restraints is legislated only in one of them. The authors clearly demonstrate the need for further targeted intervention to increase seat belt and child restraint use in vehicles as practical measures for greater safety. Suleman Idris et al. from Nigeria have made a presentation on seat belt use and the relevant factors that affect their usage among commercial-vehicle drivers in that country. They report that there was a statistically significant relationship between the educational levels of the commercial-vehicle drivers and the use of the seat belt. A majority of seat belt users had a formal education, while a majority of those without a formal education only used the seat belt occasionally. The authors suggest that innovative public health education approaches coupled with

Ó 2013 Taylor & Francis

enforcement by the Federal Road Safety Commission could mitigate the low level of seat belt use and contribute to a decrease in the morbidity and mortality of the drivers involved in road crashes. Andrew C. Ottensmeyer et al. from Kuwait have made a presentation that examines the knowledge, attitudes, and practice of adults in increasing the safety factors of occupants in both front and rear seats in vehicles. Since 1994, Kuwait has a mandatory legislation that requires the use of seat belts and this study found that the health burden of car crashes in Kuwait could be statistically reduced if there were more public awareness of the law and greater accountability because of improved police enforcement. The authors also suggest that the use of mobile phones should be banned for car drivers while driving. Salaheddine Bendak and Khaled al-Saleh from the UAE have submitted an article on seat belt use in their country. The use of seat belts for drivers and front-seat passengers was made mandatory in 1999. This is the first assessment of its kind to study the awareness and actual usage of seat belts in the UAE. The authors conclude that young, single Emirati drivers are more likely not to wear their seat belts and accept higher risk than other drivers. They recommend better police enforcement along with intensive campaigns on seat belt wearing importance and benefits. Timo Stubig et al. from Hannover, Germany, have presented a study on the thoracic injuries sustained by drivers and front-seat passengers; it examines the injury patterns and relates it to the crash characteristics of the collision in an attempt to elicit information that would increase the safety of those in the vehicle. It was found that there were lung contusions in over 90% and pneumothoraces in over 50% of the patients observed. It was felt that the automobile design should seek to reduce the incidence of thoracic injuries by uniform vehicle deformation to prevent side-impact collisions. Ali Moradi et al. from Iran have mentioned in an essay on speeding that speeding is a common risk-taking behaviour. The essay examines vehicular speeds along a stretch of road connecting Tehran and Hamadan. It examines the prevalence and determinants of such behaviour both in day as well as night. More than 50% of the drivers were observed to be speeding. The authors make a strong case for automated-speed-control measures, which have been effective in reducing speeding and crashes on highways, rural routes, and city roadways.

Downloaded by [Ondokuz Mayis Universitesine] at 20:19 07 November 2014

306

Editorial

Sarah Jones et al. have studied the use of routine police crash data to estimate the potential benefits of graduated driving licensing (GDL) in an attempt to reduce young-driver crashes within six months of getting their full license; night-time driving is particularly dangerous increasing up to 10 times with increasing lateness. Carrying a teenage or young adult further increases the crash risk. Since there is no GDL in Great Britain, the authors of this study conclude that if it were implemented in the country, many deaths could be avoided, casualties could be prevented, and costs to society could be reduced. This study supports, strengthens, and advances the arguments in favour of GDL by providing new estimates of potential casualty and cost savings. Mohammed Mir et al. have presented a paper on the high-risk attributes and road safety of commercial vehicles (intercity passenger vehicles and trucks) in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. This is an interesting work on the highrisk-driving behaviour of intercity passenger vehicles and trucks, identifying risk factors like alcohol, substance abuse, fatigue, and speeding. All the drivers in the sample were males. A significantly large proportion of commercial drivers were involved in marijuana and alcohol abuse while driving. Poor vehicle maintenance is also a major issue. The authors feel that a more effective implementation of road safety measures is needed to substantially reduce the burden of crashes, which constitute a major public health problem in Pakistan. Alexander Kudryavtsev et al. have sent an article on fatal and non-fatal road traffic crashes in Arkhangelsk, Russia, between 2005 and 2010. The data for this study was obtained from police records. Pedestrian crashes constituted 51.8% of the studied crashes; pedestrians constituted 54.6% of the fatalities and 44.5% of the non-fatal injuries. Though the most substantial reductions were in the incidence of pedestrian crashes, it was found that pedestrians constituted half of all traffic causalities in the study period. Pedestrian safety still remains the major challenge for the authorities.

Hazim Abdulrazzaq et al. from Qatar have made a presentation on pedestrians as underestimated victims on the road. Most of the characteristic injuries were multisystem injuries and the overall mortality was 8%. The motor vehicle/pedestrian interface contributes to this ongoing public health problem; this problem must be recognised with all seriousness, and programs should be implemented to mitigate these preventable injuries. Andy Lee et al. have studied the factors associated with road-traffic crashes among bus drivers in Hanoi, Vietnam. Buses are the main mode of public transport in Vietnam. Bus drivers who migrated from other provinces to Hanoi were more likely to be involved in road-traffic crashes; these drivers had a stressful working environment with poor living conditions. The authors could not investigate the causes and attitude of risky behaviour. The authors rightly conclude that there is a need for more detailed qualitative studies to provide recommendations and suggestions for safe-driving practices for bus drivers in Vietnam. In sum, this issue highlights the current shortcomings of effective implementation of seat belts and speedcontrol measures. Much more work needs to be done beyond the mandatory legislation. Note 1.

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/about_5506603_did-seatbelts-become-mandatory.html#ixzz2kIzYTPXZ

References Peden, M.M., Scurfield, R., Sleet, D., Mohan, D., & Hyder, A.A. (2004). World report on road traffic injury prevention, Geneva: World Health Organisation. Retrieved from http:// cdrwww.who.int World Health Organisation. (2013). Global status report on road safety 2013: Supporting a decade of action. Geneva: World Health Organisation.

Geetam Tiwari

Road safety: laws and implementation.

Road safety: laws and implementation. - PDF Download Free
64KB Sizes 0 Downloads 0 Views