Social Policy Implications Relating to Road Trauma in a Rapidly Motorizing World: The Example of China

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies road trauma as a major public health issue in all countries, though most notably among low‐to‐middle income countries and particularly those experiencing rapid motorization, such as China. As China transitions from a nation of bicycle riders and pedestrians to one where car ownership is increasingly desired, there is a need to address the accompanying social policy challenges. With this increased motorization has come an increased road trauma burden, shouldered disproportionately among the population. Vulnerable road users (i.e. pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists) are of primary concern because they are most frequently killed in road crashes, representing approximately 70% of all Chinese road‐related fatalities. The aim of this paper is to summarize the scale of the road trauma burden, highlight the disparity of this burden across the Chinese population, and discuss the related social policy implications in dealing with the impact of deaths and of otherwise healthy lives diminished by injury and disability. Future research priorities are also discussed and include the need to strive to provide detailed information on the level of inequity in the road trauma burden across the population and identify appropriate social support and healthcare services required, both preventative and post‐crash, so these can be developed and implemented throughout China.