Traffic safety in Eastern and Western Europe at the beginning of the nineties

Abstract

The paper provides a brief overview of traffic safety trends and national differences in Western Europe. It becomes clear that considerable differences exist between European OECD countries. National conditions playing a major role in the comparison of international traffic safety such as population density, motorization and mobility are described with differing population‐related risks and fatality rates being evaluated. Next, traffic safety and trends in selected Eastern European countries are compared. It can be concluded that, in comparison with European OECD countries, the risk values in Eastern European countries were quite favourable before the opening‐up of Eastern Europe. Now, with increasing traffic and fatality figures, Eastern Europe countries are approaching the unfavourable end of the scale. Finally, developments in traffic safety in East Germany are evaluated. There is no doubt that the political and social changes in Eastern Europe have had a dramatic impact on road traffic and traffic accident trends with East Germany being especially affected. It may even be assumed that, in contrast to other Eastern European countries, East Germany is experiencing these changes over a comparatively short period in time. The data provided for Western European countries and for East Germany are taken from the OECD‐IRTAD‐International Road Traffic and Accident Database.