School of Public Affairs, Baruch College, City University of New York, One Bernard Baruch Way, Box D-0901, New York, NY 10010-5585, USA.
Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot. 2010 Dec;17(4):247-55. doi: 10.1080/17457300.2010.490920.
Road traffic crashes and injuries constitute a major health, economic and developmental challenge for many African countries. With only 4% of the world's motor vehicles, African roads witness more than 10% of the world total collision fatalities. With further motorisation, the number of road traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities are expected to grow. This study updates on the status, trends, causes, countermeasures and issues in traffic safety in African countries by reviewing studies published in the past 12 years. The study found that traffic fatalities continued its upward trend in recent years. Similar to those in motorised countries, the study identified that human behaviour and incapacitation account for more than 85% of the contributing factors reported by police in Africa. Unlike in developed countries, the victims of traffic casualties are primarily vulnerable road users. Pedestrians alone account for more than 40% of the total fatalities on African roads. Limited countermeasures were reported in the literature. The outcomes of these programmes are mixed and the research methods have inconsistent validity. Investigation in the feasibility of transferring proven programmes from motorised countries is suggested as an efficient measure for traffic safety improvement.
道路交通碰撞和伤害对许多非洲国家的健康、经济和发展构成了重大挑战。非洲虽然只拥有全球 4%的机动车，但全球 10%以上的碰撞致死事故却发生在非洲道路上。随着机动车保有量的进一步增加，道路交通事故、伤害和死亡人数预计将会增加。本研究通过回顾过去 12 年发表的研究，更新了非洲国家交通安全的现状、趋势、原因、对策和问题。研究发现，近年来交通死亡人数呈上升趋势。与机动车化国家类似，研究表明，人类行为和机能丧失占非洲警方报告的85%以上的致因。与发达国家不同，交通事故受害者主要是弱势道路使用者。行人单独占非洲道路总死亡人数的 40%以上。文献中报告的对策有限。这些方案的结果参差不齐，研究方法的有效性也不一致。建议调查从机动车化国家转移经过验证的方案的可行性，作为改善交通安全的有效措施。
