Road safety as a factor in the socio-economic development of the country

Abstract

In the conditions of modern society, the prospective development of the country’s economy cannot be considered without a well-established transport system. The discrepancy between the level of development of the transport network and the level of demand for road transport leads to inefficient and huge costs. The main costs are associated with the elimination of the consequences of road accidents. The article considers road safety as a particularly significant socio-economic problem of the country. The relationship between economic development and the level of road safety was studied using the example of the Republic of Tatarstan (a subject of the Russian Federation). As main indicators we selected population, level of motorization, length of transport networks, gross regional product, accident rates and damage as a result of deadly accidents. Studies have shown that there is an interdependence of road safety and the economy of the republic. Moreover, it is important to assess the direct and indirect socio-economic costs of the consequences of road accidents. This allows us to measure the burden that a traffic accident causes to society, and emphasizes the return on investment in road safety.