Global Road Safety Partnership Research Articles

Strengthening Speed and Child Restraint Enforcement Capacity in the Philippines

Recent legislative developments in the Philippines provided opportunities to strengthen existing speed enforcement capacity and build competence in relation to enforcing child restraint use for the first time in this country. The Global Road Safety Partnership’s (GRSP) Road Policing Capacity Building programme team worked closely with government and non-government agencies in the Philippines to develop and deliver a series of classroom and roadside theoretical and operational training sessions. These training sessions resulted in the establishment of a core group of trainers from within local enforcement agencies in the country. This group received initial training as well as ongoing coaching and mentoring support from GRSP to establish a sustainable model of enforcement capability development. Various training methods and curriculum topics are described, noting the importance of supporting in-country partners to determine relevant, context-specific issues according to local needs in the country. This body of work provides a useful example of mechanisms to transfer specific knowledge from the field of traffic law enforcement to police officers in a systematic way, and to build training and enforcement capacity in a sustainable manner.

Automated detection of motorcycle helmet use

Road traffic collisions are among the top ten causes of death worldwide with more than 1.3 million deaths annually (WHO, 2018). Riders of motorised two- and three-wheelers are more vulnerable to injury and death and make up 28% of global road traffic deaths. In some regions, such as South-East Asia, this number is as high as 43% (WHO, 2018). Correct helmet use reduces the risk of death by 42% and the risk of head injuries by 62% (Liu, Ivers, Blows, Lo, & Norton, 2008). Increasing motorcycle helmet usage to close to 100% by 2030 has been identified as one of the twelve road safety targets by the Global Road Safety Partnership (WHO, 2018). Despite the clear benefits of wearing a helmet, increasing helmet use is challenging especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). A large-scale helmet use media campaign in Thailand over five years showed no benefit (Patummasut, Phewchean, & Sirirattanapa, 2019). While legislating helmet use has shown a clear benefit, there is a disparity between the legislative benefit in high-income countries (HICs) compared to LMICs, with LMICs showing lower use of helmets and less reduction in brain injuries (Lepard, Spagiari, & Park, 2021).

Qatar Red Crescent and road safety

Road safety is a major public health concern. Between 2008 and 2010 an average of 220 people were killed each year and over 550 people were seriously injured in the State of Qatar because of road crashes. Qatar Red Crescent (QRC), as a member of The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) which is the host of The Global Road Safety Partnership, has identified the road safety as one of its priorities to save lives and build safer communities. Methods used: • Advocate the prioritization of road safety on government's agenda. Internal road safety culture for the staffs and volunteers. • Public awareness campaigns on safe road use. Road safety education for students. • First aid courses for drivers, police officers, and the general public. QRC advocated for road safety through its involvement in the National Traffic Safety Committee. QRC volunteers and staffs, about 2500, committed to the ten road safety commitments of IFRC. The "On the Road of Safety" and "For a Safe Driving" public awareness campaigns targeted 5000. QRC school program promotes safe road practices between students, teachers, staffs, and the parents through the students. It targeted 1650 in 2014. QRC first aid training for students program "I am a paramedic" trained 16200 students between 2008 and 2015. QRC provides first aid training, with a special chapter about road safety, for about 4500 yearly. QRC assisted in writing the first aid chapter of the new driving manual in the State of Qatar. QRC is in the process of establishing partnership with the ministry of interior to provide first aid training for police officers and driving schools students. QRC will continue to have a strategic attention to continuous public education about road safety and first aid to bring death and injury down.

Is road safety being driven in the wrong direction?

Road traffic crashes are a major cause of death and injury worldwide and are set to increase as low- and middle-income countries motorize. United Nations (UN)and World Health Organization (WHO) road traffic injury prevention efforts depend on support from external organizations, many of which have commercial interests in increasing car use. Because of concerns about conflict of interest, this study objectively assessed the activities of a key WHO collaborator, the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP). We conducted a quantitative content analysis comparing GRSP publications and the 2004 WHO World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention. Dictionaries of terms were constructed for each of the evidence-based interventions detailed in the World REPORT. Text analysis software was used to generate word frequency counts of those terms to compare the World Report and GRSP documents. Education, information and publicity featured far more commonly in the GRSP publications than in the WHO World Report [word frequency ratios and 95% confidence intervals: GRSP Newsletter 3.09, 2.53 to 3.78; Around GRSPs World 4.69, 3.76 to 5.87;GRSP Project summaries 3.42, 2.59 to 4.51] On the other hand, compared with the World Report, reducing car use [GRSP Newsletter 0.36, 0.27 to 0.48], minimizing exposure to high-risk scenarios [GRSP Newsletter 0.04, 0.02 to 0.09] and encouraging the use of safer modes of travel [GRSP Newsletter 0.02, 0.01 to 0.08] rarely featured in GRSP publications. The GRSP focuses on educational interventions, for which there is no evidence of effectiveness. Furthermore, the GRSP does not appear to consider the full range of WHO interventions. As motorization growth has serious negative implications for health, including those associated from physical inactivity, climate change and air and noise pollution, it is imperative that the UN and WHO do not allow business interests to dominate public health interests.

Establishing hospital-based trauma registry systems: lessons from Kenya

ObjectiveIn the developing world, data about the burden of injury, injury outcomes, and complications of care are limited. Hospital-based trauma registries are a data source that can help define this burden. Under the trauma care component of the Bloomberg Global Road Safety Partnership, trauma registries have been implemented at three sites in Kenya. We describe the challenges and lessons learned from this effort. MethodsA paper-based trauma surveillance form was developed, in collaboration with local hospital partners, to collect data on all trauma patients presenting for care. The form includes demographic information, pre-hospital care given, and patient care and clinical information necessary to calculate estimated injury surveillance. The type of data collected was standardized across all three sites. Frequent reviews of the data collection process, quality, and completeness, in addition to regular meetings and conference calls, have allowed us to optimize the process to improve efficiency and make corrective actions where required. ResultsTrauma registries have been implemented in three hospitals in Kenya, with potential for expansion to other hospitals and facilities caring for injured patients. The process of establishing registries was associated with both general and site-specific challenges. Problems were identified in planning, data collection, entry processes, and analysis. Problems were addressed when identified, resulting in improved data quality. ConclusionsTrauma registries are a key data source for defining the burden of injury and developing quality improvement processes. Trauma registries were implemented at three sites in Kenya. Problems and challenges in data collection were identified and corrected. Through the registry data, gaps in care were identified and systemic changes made to improve the care of the injured.

The Result of a Baseline Survey on Drink Driving in Nanning and Liuzhou of Guangxi Province, China

Objective: Because the official data in China on drink-driving accidents as well as related fatalities and injuries are much lower than many of the developed and developing countries in the world, the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) decided to conduct a baseline survey to understand the prevalence of drink driving and related accidents in Nanning and Liuzhou, both in Guangxi Province, in order to develop targeted interventions. Methods: The baseline survey included a roadside survey and an accident survey. Motor vehicle (including motorcycles) drivers were randomly stopped for a breath test and interview in the roadside survey. In the accident survey, all drivers involved in a road accident resulting in at least 1 person killed or seriously injured were requested to provide a blood sample. Results: A total of 10,685 drivers accepted the random breath test and 10,666 drivers were interviewed in the roadside survey. An examination of the raw (unweighted) breath alcohol readings reveals that of the 10,685 breath-tested drivers, 730 (6.8%) had positive blood alcohol concentrations (BACs); 245 of these drivers (2.3% of all drivers) had BACs below 20 mg/100 mL; 415 (3.9% of all drivers) were driving under the influence (DUI; 20 mg/100 mL–80 mg/100 mL); and 70 (0.7% of all drivers) were driving while intoxicated (DWI; ≥0.80 mg/100 mL). Overall, 4.6 percent of the drivers had BACs over 20 mg/100 mL (the lowest legal BAC limit in China). Among the 10,666 interviewed drivers, only 4.8 percent were aware of the lowest national BAC limit (20 mg/100 mL); 24.9 percent had been discouraged by other people from driving after drinking; 78 percent had never been stopped by the traffic police for a BAC check during the last 2 years (during 2005–2006), and only 0.3 percent had been punished for drink driving. The accident survey results revealed that an average of 34.1 percent of road accidents (Nanning: 25.7%; Liuzhou: 48%) were alcohol related; the mean BAC level of the drivers in the accidents was 156.7 mg/100 mL and the highest was 310 mg/100 mL. Conclusions: Valuable information was obtained from the baseline survey to provide a better understanding of the drink driving situation in Nanning and Liuzhou. From the survey data it can be seen that drinking and driving was a major issue in both cities. A drink driving intervention was developed with both components of public education/social marketing and enforcement activities after the survey, which was conducted in 2008. However, this article will focus on the methodology and results of the baseline survey, not the activities and outcome of the intervention.

Findings of the follow-up survey—GRSI Beijing project of improving vulnerable road user safety at junctions

BackgroundDuring 2006–2009, Beijing Transportation Research Center, Beijing University of Technology (BJUT) and Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) worked together on a project to improve vulnerable road user (VRU) safety at...

Assessing a Country's Drink Driving Situation: An Overview of the Method Used in 6 Low- and Middle-Income Countries

The International Center for Alcohol Policies (ICAP) has developed an international program to reduce drink driving as part of its strategy for Global Actions on Harmful Drinking. The program focuses on capacity building, training, and the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of regional and local pilot projects in 6 participating low- and middle-income countries. The first step in developing an effective program that addresses specific problems in a region or country is to assess the current drink driving situation. In order to meet this key requirement, ICAP developed a situation assessment approach based largely on the recommendations of Chapter 2 of the good practice manual on drinking and driving produced by the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) Road Safety Collaboration. The aim of the assessment was to provide the foundation for preparing a prioritized and effective suite of projects using the good practice recommended by the GRSP/UN manual. Its output is intended to assist with determining program objectives, design, and evaluation so that the benefits from the investments in drink driving programs can be maximized and data led, focusing on the priorities identified by the assessment. The situation assessment approach was produced as a set of guidelines containing a detailed and structured list of questions. The questions are organized into 6 main groups or elements and they enable a comprehensive and systematic collection of existing information about the extent and nature of the drink driving problem, the strengths and weaknesses of the current prevention practices, and the capacity for improvements. Situation assessments using these guidelines have been completed in the 6 focus countries and the resulting information is now being used for capacity building and developing appropriate and relevant pilot projects, taking into consideration the country's culture with respect to transportation, enforcement, health care, and alcohol consumption.

Utilization of in-vehicle technology for managing speed: challenges and progress of intelligent speed adaptation (ISA) pilot study in malaysia

A sustainable transport system needs to focus not only on reliability and efficiency, but also on the safety aspect. Speeding problem has becoming one of the major road safety focuses around the globe (Global Road Safety Partnership, 2008; OECD/ECMT Transport Research Centre, 2006). Many researchers have shown the negative effect of speeding on road safety (Nilsson, 2004; Walz et al., 1983; OECD/ECMT Transport Research Centre, 2006). One of the speed management strategies to reduce the harmful effects of speeding is by utilizing in-vehicle technology such as intelligent speed adaptation (ISA). Several previous researches have shown the effectiveness of ISA system in reducing the speeding problem (Sundberg, 2001; Lahrmann et al., 2001; Jamson et al., 2006). This concept paper discusses the settings of a pilot study in Malaysia along with its challenges as well as recent progress on adapting a commercially available handheld GPS device as working ISA system.

Regarding Formula One and global road safety

In his passionate response to Ian Roberts1 (JRSM 2007;100:360-2), David Ward (JRSM 2007;100:412-3) did not declare all his competing interests. As well as being director general of the FIA Foundation, Mr Ward was appointed by the FIA (International Automobile Federation) from his FIA position, to manage the $300 million with which the FIA created the Foundation. Mr Ward also defended the Commission for Global Road Safety at length - but nowhere did he mention that he is the Commission's Secretary. In addition, Mr Ward neglected to declare that, as Director General of the FIA Foundation, he has a member's chair on the Executive Committee of the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP). The complex links between these institutions - which Mr Ward's interests reflect - highlight Professor Roberts' point that motorists and the motor industry are powerful players in the international road safety debate. This is neither surprising nor necessarily a bad thing. Road transport plays a vital role in economic development, and the motoring industry has a legitimate role in road safety policy in the developing world. The auto industry has always lobbied governments to promote its own agenda3 and has considerable commercial interests in the emerging markets.4 In pursuing those interests, groups like the four that Mr Ward is involved in are doing precisely what they exist to do.5 A problem emerges, however, when such groups are able to steer the agenda in the direction favoured by just one or two stakeholders. At the national level in developed countries, interest groups compete with one another for influence; alongside motorists' groups and car manufacturers, there are vocal and well-organized groups representing cyclists, pedestrians, public transport users and others. Independent government institutions exist to make binding decisions when these competing interests are at odds. At the global level, however, there is no government agency with the authority to weigh up competing claims. International NGOs like the World Bank and the World Health Organization may attempt to take on this role, but they are easily ‘captured’ by whoever can offer much-needed funding. In the sphere of road safety, this gives the FIA and the GRSP an extraordinary advantage. Groups like the FIA Foundation and the GRSP have every right to advocate on their members' behalf, and as David Ward points out, they contribute desperately needed funds to road safety projects. But as representatives of motorists and of the motor industry, they necessarily prioritize the needs of these groups. In the absence of competing organizations, this threatens to narrow the scope of the policy debate and to exclude policies which might benefit other road users. The lack of a well-developed civil society at a global level is not the automotive industry's fault - but it would behove them to keep it in mind when exercising their considerable influence.

Car manufacturers and global road safety: a word frequency analysis of road safety documents

Objective: The World Bank believes that the car manufacturers can make a valuable contribution to road safety in poor countries and has established the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) for...

A Partnership Approach to Improving the Global Road Safety Crisis

Kathleen Elsig presents insights from the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) programme in coordinating the interests of diverse actors, including private sector partners, in an effort to deliver road safety improvements in developing and transition countries. She presents an overview of the GRSP programme and explains the tri-sector partnerships and the goals of the Business Partners for Development programme. This is followed by observations from GRSP about channelling the strengths of diverse sectors, including the private sector, to maximize the positive output of joint development initiatives.

Preventing death and injury on the world's roads

The problem of deaths and injury as a result of road crashes is now acknowledged to be a global phenomenon with authorities in virtually all countries concerned about the growth in the number of people killed and seriously injured on their roads. The World Health Organization has declared that its annual World Health Day in 2004 will have the theme 'Safe Roads', and several organizations, including the World Bank and the Global Road Safety Partnership, are supporting this initiative to raise the profile of road safety in the public and political minds.