World Bank projections indicate that unless major action is taken, global road fatalities in East Asia and Pacific will increase by more than 80 percent between the years 2000 and 2020... Washington, DC, October 2, 2007. World Bank projections indicate that unless major action is taken, global road fatalities in East Asia and Pacific will increase by more than 80 percent between the years 2000 and 2020. The rapid growth in population and development in this region demands new programs to cope with the inevitable surge in traffic and to increase road safety.  | From "Implementing the Recommendations of the World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention", Transport Note No. TRN-1. April 2004. |
In an effort to address these challenges, road safety interventions have been incorporated as components of transport projects financed by the Bank throughout the East Asia and Pacific region since the early 1980s. Through policy dialogue, technical assistance, investment and program loans, various road safety measures and strategies were implemented to improve road safety in the region. In recent years, the World Bank has implemented a series of transport safety initiatives in both China and Vietnam in an effort to reduce injury and loss of life. These programs involve: Education: traffic instruction for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as driver training and testing Raising public awareness: Information for residents on transport safety issues and vehicle standards, such as safety features and vehicle maintenance Providing resources for traffic monitoring and enforcement: personnel, training, and tools to reduce safety violations.
Country officials recognize the urgency of this issue to development and have been working with the World Bank to formulate solutions. China China is expected to experience the largest increase in traffic fatalities in the region (92 percent) as a result of its explosive growth. It is estimated that almost 100,000 people are killed and some 5 million are injured each year in China. The fatality rate would be higher were the international standard of persons dying within 30 days of an accident to be used. The total cost to China of these traffic accidents is estimated at 3 to 6 percent of the country’s annual GDP, which emphasizes that, in addition to social consequences, these accidents result in substantial economic loss."There are many reasons for the frequent traffic accidents, including China's under-developed roads, highways, and vehicles, as well as a poor public awareness of traffic safety," said Sun Huashan, Deputy Director of the State Administration of Work Safety.  | 
| It is estimated that 100,000 people are killed and 5 million are injured ever year in China as a result of traffic accidents. |
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Over the last decade, the World Bank has implemented road safety projects in several Chinese provinces in an effort to highlight and address the growing safety problem. Projects implemented in China to date have included sustained traditional, project-based road safety programs, known as ‘First Generation’ projects, in the Hubei Province as components of large-scale expressway projects.
In 2007, the Bank arranged for a US$500,000 grant fromthe Global Road Safety Facility to finance the Hubei Provincial Road Safety Training Center. The goal of this grant is to strengthen road safety awareness, increase the quality of safety facilities, and establish a network of road safety practitioners to support these initiatives. This project will provide training courses and materials on road safety design, emergency health services, and traffic safety enforcement. In addition, the program seeks to create a local and global knowledge framework on road safety issues. More specifically, this includes safer road design, removal of hazards, and other safety measures. Providing a knowledge base for these resources would further serve safety needs in China and throughout the region. | 
| Traffic accidents cost China approximately 3 to 6 percent of their annual GDP. |
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The Bank considers that the best scope for China reducing its traffic safety problems is through multi-sector activities which involve the Public Security Bureau (enforcement), the agencies responsible for building and maintaining roads, the education sector, and the health sector. Working together, they would be better able to reduce the accident rate than can be achieved independently. Vietnam
“Vietnam has had one of the fastest growing economies in the world in recent years and this is accompanied by rapid traffic growth,” said Martin Rama, Lead Economist of the World Bank in Vietnam. “Appropriate transport policies and infrastructure development can help cope with this surge in traffic, but more is needed.” According to statistics, traffic accidents kill approximately 30 people and injure 60 others every day in Vietnam and the number of fatalities continues to rise, which causes serious economic consequences for the society as a whole.  This concern for the safety and sustainability led to this year’s theme for Vietnam Innovation Day 2007 (VDI): “Traffic Safety”. It was through this forum that several safety education projects were brought to light (list of the winning projects - PDF, 622KB). These programs received grants to allow community groups to test their innovative ideas to enhance traffic safety in the region.
The importance of addressing transport safety to regional development was emphasized by Laurent Msellati, Acting Country Director of the World Bank in Vietnam: “With Traffic Safety as the theme for this year, we clearly recognize the urgency of this issue to the development of Vietnam.” In 2005 the World Bank approved a credit of US$31.73 million to support Vietnam’s Road Safety Project to reduce the rate of accidents, injury and death associated with road transport. The project is designed to strengthen the management of road transport safety in Vietnam through physical improvement of road systems and institutional enhancements. A key element of the project is the introduction of “safe highway” demonstration corridors on three sections of national roads where the highest rates of fatality and injury are currently being observed. “The project will work to strengthen traffic safety coordination among government ministries and agencies, as well as improve the enforcement of road safety laws, increase publicity and education about the effects of road accidents, improve facilities for vehicle and driver testing and licensing and improve emergency medical services.” said Klaus Rohland, former Country Director of the World Bank in Vietnam. “We aim to reduce fatality rate on the project ‘safe highway’ roads by half and injury rates by two thirds after 5 years.” As part of the project, a workshop under the theme “New Approaches to Institutional Arrangements and Management of Traffic Safety” was organized earlier this year in Hanoi. This workshop presented international experiences and their application to Vietnam, as well as discussions of how to develop an appropriate road safety strategy. Nguyen Hong Truong, Vice Minister of Transport, briefed the group on the latest efforts to improve traffic safety in the region. A system for rating the safety of national roads to aid in prioritizing investments, known as the international Road Assessment Program, was described and its application to Vietnam is currently under review. For further Information about the China traffic safety program, contact Christopher R. Bennett: cbennett2@worldbank.org
For further information about the Vietnam traffic safety program, contact William D.O. Paterson: wpaterson@worldbank.org |
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