CHAPTER 3
ROAD SAFETY
vehicle fleet and 88 percent of all paved inter-urban roads. By contrast, low-income countries report 13 percent of the world’s traffic fatalities despite having less than 1 percent of the powered vehicle fleet and paved inter-urban roads. Similarly, 44 percent of road fatalities occur in lower-mid- dle-income countries, despite only 34 percent of powered vehicles and 10 percent of paved roads being located there (Figure 9).
Inadequate road quality not only increases travel times and cost but can, among other factors, also contribute to higher rates of accidents. Based on the 2023 Global Status Report on Road Safety by the World Health Organization, 11 high-income countries only report 8 percent of the world’s traffic fatalities despite being home to 28 percent of the
Figure 9: Share of global population, road traffic deaths, registered motor vehicles and paved inter-urban roads, by country income level, 2021 16+ 32+43+9+H % POPULATION 16 32 43 9 Low-income High Income Upper middle-income Lower middle-income 835+44+13+H+ % ESTIMATED ROAD FATALITIES 8 35 44 13 Low-income High Income Upper middle-income Lower middle-income 86+ 3+9+2+H % PAVED ROADS 88 2 10 1 Low-income High Income Lower middle-income Upper middle-income 27+ 38+33+2+H Source: World Health Organization % POWERED VEHICLES 28 38 34 1 Low-income High Income Upper middle-income Lower middle-income
10 Road Quality and Mean Speed Score, IMF 2022
11 Global Status Report on Road Safety. World Health Organization 2023
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