The effect of open-back vehicles on casualty rates: The case of Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Vehicle characteristics and vehicle use are frequently cited in the literature as potentially important factors contributing to the high motor-vehicle-related fatality rates reported by developing countries. Vehicles in developing countries are frequently overloaded, and improper vehicles are used to transport passengers. This paper seeks to estimate the importance of occupancy and vehicle type on the high motor-vehicle-related fatality rates in developing nations, using data for Papua New Guinea, a small South Pacific developing nation. This is achieved by establishing patterns of crash involvement and morbidity rates for vehicle types and ownership. Relative risk of crash involvement and relative risk of casualty for drivers and passengers are examined for open and closed vehicles. Finally, an estimate of the importance of vehicle type on the fatality rate is developed. The results demonstrate the need to disaggregate factors contributing to severity and occurrence in the study of road safety in developing countries.