Cost-effectiveness of traffic enforcement: case study from Uganda.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Traffic Safety
• Health Economics

Background:

• Ugandan Police initiated enhanced traffic safety patrols in October 2004 on major roads to Kampala.
• The intervention involved deploying four squads of traffic patrols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the financial costs associated with increased traffic enforcement.
• To determine the potential effectiveness of enhanced traffic safety patrols in Uganda.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of police records and key informant interviews at 10 police stations.
• Time series (ARIMA) regression used to assess changes in traffic fatalities from January 2001 to December 2005.
• Cost analysis conducted from the police department's perspective in US dollars (2005).

Main Results:

• The annual cost for enhanced patrols was estimated at $72,000.
• Citations increased substantially, generating an estimated $327,311 annually.
• A statistically significant 17% reduction in road deaths was observed post-intervention, with a cost-effectiveness of $603 per death averted.

Conclusions:

• Traffic safety enforcement presents a low cost relative to lives saved and revenue generated.
• Increased enforcement of traffic safety norms is a highly cost-effective public health strategy for low-income nations.
• The intervention proved beneficial even from a governmental financial perspective.