Traffic safety: Rights and obligations

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Transportation Safety
• Human Rights Law

Background:

• Road traffic injuries (RTI) represent a significant global public health challenge, with societal acceptance of high levels of death and disability.
• The prevailing approach to RTI often focuses on the number of acceptable casualties rather than prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze road traffic injuries as a public health problem.
• To understand the emergence of Vision Zero and the movement to establish road safety as a human right.
• To identify reasons for limited success and propose future strategies for enhancing road safety.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of RTI as a public health issue.
• Review of the historical context and rationale behind Vision Zero.
• Examination of policy and intervention strategies for road safety.

Main Results:

• Road safety has been framed as a human right, with initiatives like Vision Zero aiming for zero fatalities and serious injuries.
• Past efforts have faced challenges, including a lack of systematic evidence-based justification for policies and interventions.
• Recommendations include requiring evidence-based justifications for all road safety policies, transparency from manufacturers on safety features, and funding for evidence-based interventions.

Conclusions:

• A paradigm shift is needed to treat road safety not as an acceptable cost but as a fundamental right.
• Implementing evidence-based policies and ensuring accountability are crucial for achieving significant reductions in road traffic injuries.
• Future progress requires integrating scientific evidence into policy-making and promoting transparency in safety standards and interventions.