road safety: the silent burden of high motorization and vehicle-oriented policies

7/28/2019 Road safety: the silent burden of high motorization and vehicle-oriented policies

1/6

The country is deeply wounded, but it doesnt even whine. IMESEVI

Road safety: the silent burden of high motorization and vehicle-oriented policies.

Developing countries are facing challenges beyond economic growth. The design of thenational development plans can no longer be based only on economic growth, but they

should also aim to increase the living standards of the population. Mexico, as some

developing countries experienced an accelerated change in demographics and urban

expansion associated to the industrialization process during the XX century1. There was

an important internal migration phenomenon in search for job opportunities, which lead

to an unplanned citys configuration.

The economic clusters, in addition to the rapid urban expansion, higher income and

vehicle-oriented policies (such as road capacity expansion) are factors that encouraged

motorization. In Mexico the motorization annual rate is 9.6% largely exceeding the

demographic rate of 1.8%. (CTS Mexico, 2009 and INEGI 2010), but so are the deathsand injuries caused by car accidents. The road accidents are the sixth cause of death

among the general population and the first cause among the group of people between 5

and 29 years old, largely affecting the population in productive age.

Transportation policies cannot be overlooked, nor road safety should. Adequate

mobilization should provide the means to reach safely, effectively, efficiently and

sustainably the places required for all types of purposes. Urban policies are unlikely to

be just imported and adapted, although some international common standards have

been suggested through various organizations such as UN-HABITAT. Urban policies

must reflect the configuration of the city they are trying to serve to foster productivity,

increase the quality of life and equity.

The situation

Previous polices that encouraged the use of private vehicles, privileged a few people

while raising potential threats to a large majority. For instance, road accidents in Mexico

currently account for over 7 billion euros per year that is equivalent to 6% of the federal

health budget (Ministry of Health, 2008). Such an investment could provide more than

30 BRT2 lines to improve public transportation and reduce car congestion and thus the

risk of exposure to car accidents. Additionally, over 16,500 people died as a result of a

car accident in 2011, 70% of the victims where inside the vehicles, while 30% were

pedestrians (INEGI).

According to the Accidents prevention commission 94% of the accidents occur in urban

areas. This fact provides relevant information as of where to begin implementing

1 Garza, G. and Rivera, S. Desarrollo economico y distribucion de la poblacion urbana en

Mexico. 1960 -1990. Revista Mexicana de sociologia . vol. 55, No. 1 1990 : censos y

poblacin en Mexico. March 1993. Universidad Nacional Autnoma de Mexico

2 Figures from the BRT line 1 construction, 23 millions of euros per line. www.gobrt.org


2/6

policies to prevent vehicle accidents. In Mexico 4 million car accidents take place every

year, related injuries add up to one million wounded people and 40,000 with permanent

disabilities. The accidents represent thus high costs in terms of productivity, health,

disability treatments, rehabilitation, and depression recovery, among others. The direct

costs of road accidents have been estimated to represent 1.7% of the GDP in Mexico

(IMESEVI).

Therefore, impulsive Band-Aids cannot tackle the challenge. According to Massin

(2002) there are three determinants of accidents gravity: the vehicle, infrastructure andthe human behavior. Cesvi3 Mxico specified that in the country 80% of the accidents

are associated to human behavior, while only 13% are associated to infrastructure and

7% vehicle conditions.

According to the data and institutions participating to prevent vehicle accidents must of

the accidents could be avoided. During 2010, the WHO, the Pan American Health

Organization, the National Center for Accidents Prevention (CENAPRA) and the

Bloomberg Foundation joined their efforts to develop the Road Safety Initiative forMexico. There were two selected countries to be the pioneers due to their regional

influence and the alarming road accident rates: Vietnam and Mexico.

The mortality rate in Mexico related to road accidents was 18.8 per 100 thousand

inhabitants in 2010 (CENAPRA), while in countries such as Germany and UK the rates

are 7 and 6 respectively.

Mexico has focused on problems that were very much known in the international sphere

such as fighting organized crime, economic growth and trade. Nevertheless, nowadays

international organizations and the federal government are designing policies to reduce

the health problems derived from road safety. The Road Safety Initiative for Mexico aimsto implement policies and programs, that effectively reduce all the vehicle transit

burdens. Road accidents according to Roy Rojas from the WHO are the fastest way toproduce poverty and social inequity.

The Road Safety Initiative for Mexico is an opportunity to design solutions for countries

with similar situations. Although support and advise are provided, results are expected

therefore, commitment is required.

Rules, programs and other strategies

Adequate urbanization policies can strengthen the setup for a balanced, resilient and

sustainable development in Mexico. Organizations such as the UNDP have proposed five

dimensions to improve the Citys prosperity: productivity, infrastructure, quality of life,equity and environmental sustainability.

As I mentioned before, road safety is linked to quality of live, equity and productivity.

Therefore, a committed effort is required to define actions that deter irresponsible

attitudes towards driving. Basic actions such as, alcoholometry tests, exams to obtain

the drivers license, mandatory use of helmet for motorcyclist and seat-belt enforcement

were implemented. The results varied in effectiveness, but cannot be the only solution.

3Experimentation and Road safety Centre (Centro de Experimentacin y Seguridad Vial)


3/6

Traffic calming policies, policies that discourage the indiscriminate use of private

vehicles, narrower lines to discourage speed may improve the results. It cannot be only

about implementing rules and enforce them, although this results quite effective. It also

is important to change the mindset towards the responsibilities in the road. Options

must also be provided when making the use of private cars less attractive, efficient

public transit is required. Road safety and accident prevention require a holisticapproach to benefit all the road users, from pedestrian, elderly people, cyclists to larger

vehicles.

The streets were once a place-making milieu, but nowadays they are essentially roads

serving mainly for transportation purposes and storage (parking). Developing countries

such as Mexico require people-oriented policies to accurately reduce risk factors and

create a better environment.

A major obstacle for greater use of public space is fast moving vehicles, the faster they

go the least visibility they have and in case of an accidents survival rates are indirectly

proportional to the speed of the vehicles4. If road accidents rates can be dropped, wewould perceive more than health benefits; it would imply less costs, greater quality of

life by enjoying public spaces. Moreover, investment in road safety through

infrastructure and traffic calming zones can also benefit those whom do not posses the

means to travel by vehicle.

Conclusion

Current trends show that urban centers are attracting an important percentage of the

population, thus urban policies should be planned ahead to impulse sustainable

development in all possible areas. Economic growth does not automatically represent

prosperity for all. Public investment should be placed to improve the productivity, livingstandards and economic growth tacking into account the population, the needs and

behaviors.

Large investments in infrastructure that benefit a few but have proven to create all sorts

of costs that affect the greater majority should be discouraged. A rapid pace of

motorization is not sustainable, due to the potential associated risks. Road accidents can

no longer be ignored, but they must be faced and tackled.

Many are the policies that can be implemented form normativity and regulation, to

social programs. It can also be done with international expertise but tailor made for

local practices. But the fact is that Mexico is facing a challenge that is deterring growthand affecting the quality of life of the population.

A broader look into investments is required. If more roads imply more vehicles and

more traffic congestion and thus more potential risks, can we affirm that greater

pedestrian areas, bicycle lanes and public spaces would build more lively areas? I leave

this question open for further research.

4Instituto para Polticas Pblicas y Desarroll, Mxico. (2011) Manual integral de movilidad ciclista paraciudades mexicanas. I. La movilidad en bicicleta como poltica pblica. ITPD Mexico


4/6

Adriana,

You wrote on a major problem (not only in Mexico but also many other emerging

economies) presenting data which indicate the level of risks involved. But, you could

have also linked road safety to larger developmental issues in a closer fashion. And you

point out briefly that distinct policy instruments have been used to tackle this problemin Mexico, but you dont explain those sufficiently. The role of the international actors

needs further explication as well.

More importantly, your references & citations are not correctly stated.

75

Sources:

CTS Mxico (2009). Analysis of the automotive industry in Mexico. Mexico:CTS

IMESEVI. (unknown) La memoria de IMESEVI. Iniciativa Mexicana e Seguridad Vial. Esto

no es un accidente. Published by CENAPRA

INEGI, Population Census, 2010

Instituto para Polticas Pblicas y Desarrollo, Mxico. (2011) Manual integral de

movilidad ciclista para ciudades mexicanas. I. La movilidad en bicicleta como poltica

pblica. ITPD Mexico.

Massin, Isabelle. (2002) La Scurit Routire. E.N.A. | Revue franaise d'administration

publique 2002/3 - no103. Pages 451 453

Secretaria de Slaud (2008). Programa de accin especfico 2007-2012 Seguridad vial.

Mexico: Subsecretara de Prevensin y promocin de la salud.

United Nations Human Settlements Programme. (2012/2013) State of the Worlds cities2012/2013. Prosperity of cities. World Urban Edition Forum


5/6


6/6

road safety: the silent burden of high motorization and vehicle-oriented policies

Documents