The Toll of Traffic Injuries
2017
This report from the World Bank Group estimates potential economic and social welfare benefits of reducing road traffic injuries in low- and middle-income countries. While the personal heartbreak and financial hardship associated with such injuries is well documented, less has been published about the impact of road traffic injuries on societies and economics more broadly. Analyzing data from China, India, Philippines, Tanzania, and Thailand, the report concludes that reducing road traffic injuries by half may translate to an additional 15 to 22 percent of GDP per capita income growth over 24 years.
On the other hand, failing to meet this goal means low- and middle-income countries will be foregoing the opportunity for additional economic growth. The economic impact aside, note the authors, the individual and social welfare losses that arise from road traffic injuries cannot be ignored. This report underscores that the transport sector must play a bigger role in achieving the sustainable development agenda, and that reducing road traffic injuries and deaths should be a core aim of the public health agenda, especially through the realization of universal health coverage.
Source:
The High Toll of Traffic Injuries: Unacceptable and Preventable. The World Bank Group 2017. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/29129.