[sustran] Re: FW: WHO report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention

[roelof.wittink at cycling.nl]

Dear Todd,

A bit late reaction from my side but the issues you raise will remain 
relevant for very long time. Thanks very much for your efforts on the 
impact of walking and cycling on road safety. 

You may know about my involvement in road safety of cycling. I have 
been working at the Dutch Road Safety Research SWOV for 20 years 
and I am currently managing director of I-ce Interface for Cycling 
Expertise. 

I recently discussed extensively with Francesca Racioppi WHO the 
work to be done in Europe to produce a report on  planning for cycling 
and walking with the highest impact on health. 
Part of this is to optimise road safety impact. In this respect we will 
come to the relation between more cycling and road safety. 

I totally disagree with road safety specialists that use risk data to 
forecast an increase in road fatalities as a consequence of an increase 
of cycling. It does not work this way. The empirical data prove 
completely the oppposite. Cities with a higher share of cycling, have a 
lower risk of cycling. Cities and countries that succeeded in a 
substantial increase of cycling, counted a decrease not only in risk but 
even in absolute numer of bicycle deaths. When I presented this at the 
latest Velo City conference, several people in the conference room 
confirmed my analyses.
Risk comparisons will always show the vulnerability of cycling (although 
taking into account the risk for others and the conditions during travel, 
the differences are much less than calculating with only injuries and 
kilometers). 
However the point is that risks change at the same time when people 
feel invited to use a bicycle more often. It is about the process of 
interventions that promotes cycling. Cycling increased only when traffic 
calming takes place, when we work on another balance for room and 
priority given to cars and cyclists. 

I attach my contribution to the publication Sustainable Transport on this 
subject. For any reference: Wittink, Roelof; I-ce Interface for Cycling 
Expertise: Planning for cycling supports road safety; In: Sustainable 
Transport, Planning for walking and cycling in urban environments, ed. 
by Rodney Tolley; Woodhead publishing in Environmental management, 
ISBN 1 85573 614 4; 2003. 


I like to have your reaction and like to exchange with you how WHO and 
other bodies can be influenced to open their eyes for the facts and their 
background

best regards

roelof wittink    
 

On 15 Apr 2004 at 9:20, Todd Alexander Litman wrote:

> 
> I was a member of the expert team which helped write the "World Report
> on Road Traffic Injury Prevention"
> (http://www.who.int/world-health-day/2004/en). I was mainly involved
> in developing Chapter 4, which identifies interventions.
> 
> There was considerable internal debate concerning motorization as a
> risk factor, and the role of mobility management as a safety strategy.
> Our original draft emphasized the importance of strategies that reduce
> automobile travel volumes and speeds, but this was weakened
> considerably during the review process. The good news is that some of
> it was incorporated in the report. The bad news is that it is not as
> prominent or as detailed as I would have preferred.
> 
> An issue of considerable debate was how to handle the relative
> accident rates of different modes. Motorized travel tends to have
> fewer user deaths per passenger-kilometer than non-motorized travel,
> and so it is easy to conclude that increased motorization reduces
> risk. This is implied in Table 3.1 (p. 75) which does not take into
> account the risk to other road users, or the tendency of motorization
> to increase total travel. This issue is mentioned on page 111, but is
> not highlighted or linked to the previous section. There is also
> little discussion of the health benefits of increased walking and
> cycling which may offset some or all of the accident risks,
> particularly in industrialized countries.
> 
> The WHO report also fails to discuss "offsetting behavior", the
> tendency of people to take greater risks when they feel safer, a
> critical issue when evaluating many of the solutions presented, such
> as safer roads and vehicles.
> 
> Chapter 4 includes the basic concept that risk can be reduced by
> reducing total vehicle traffic volumes and speeds, and by restricting
> motor vehicle use, and it emphasizes the safety benefits of improving
> and encouraging transit rather than private automobile travel. It also
> includes information on strategies such as improved walking and
> cycling facilities and traffic calming. It relies considerably on my
> report "If Health Matters: Integrating Public Health Objectives Into
> Transportation Planning" (http://www.vtpi.org/health.pdf), which
> discusses these issues in more detail.
> 
> The report indicates that per capita crash rates decline with
> increased motorization (see the third paragraph of page 40). Figure
> 2.2 shows Africa to have the highest per-capita crash rates, although
> this is based on limited and highly aggregate data, and Table 2.5
> indicates a much lower traffic fatality rate for Sub-Saharan Africa.
> Much of the data is at the regional level, which hides differences
> between different countries and cities which may indicate how factors
> such as motorization affect crash rates.
> 
> Regardless of the exact death rate, traffic accidents are a terrible
> problem in developing countries, and the evidence is that this risk
> declines with increased motorization, as vehicle and road quality
> improve, people (drivers and other road users) take more precautions,
> and emergency medical services improve. However, the ultimate level of
> traffic safety in a particular country or city is affected by
> per-capita vehicle ownership and use, and other transportation and
> land use policies. This explains, for example, why the U.S. has a much
> higher per capita traffic fatality rate than most other developed
> countries (more than twice the rate in the U.K.), despite having
> modern vehicles, well designed roads and numerous safety programs; and
> why U.S. cities with more balanced transportation systems have a fifth
> of the traffic fatality rate as automobile-dependent, Smart Growth
> cities (see "If Health Matters" for information). Unfortunately, the
> WHO report provides no information on these issues, and so supports
> the conclusion that per capita vehicle ownership and mileage do not
> affect risk.
> 
> 
> The Conclusions and Recommendations (Chapter 5) includes many good
> ideas. For example,
> 
> Box 5.1 recommends encouraging walking and cycling and improving
> walking and cycling conditions.
> 
> On page 158, level of motorization, modes of travel, the volume of
> unnecessary trips and land use planning practices are all listed as
> risk exposure factors.
> 
> On page 162, recommended safety strategies include safer cycling and
> pedestrian facilities, and convenient, safe and affordable public
> transit.
> 
> 
> The European WHO report "Preventing Road Traffic Injury: A Public
> Health Perspective For Europe" (www.euro.who.int/document/E82659.pdf)
> similarly contains a lot of good information, such as the first of
> "Highly effective measures for road safety" listed in Appendix 1:
> 
> "Incorporating as a long-term goal, safety features into land-use and
> transport planning – such as the provision of shorter and safer
> pedestrian and bicycle routes and convenient, safe and affordable
> public transport – and road design, including controlled crossings for
> pedestrians, rumble strips and street lighting"
> 
> 
> Please let me know if you have questions or comments. I am interested
> in hearing how these issues are perceived in developing countries.
> Also, please let me know if you have any specific suggestions for
> improving my paper "If Health Matters".
> 
> 
> Best wishes,
> -Todd Litman
> 
> 
> 
> At 11:02 AM 4/14/2004 +0800, Barter, Paul wrote:
> 
> 
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: Rural transport and development mailing list
> >[mailto:RURAL-TRANSPORT-DEVELOPMENT at JISCMAIL.AC.UK] On Behalf Of
> >Priyanthi Fernando Sent: Tuesday, 13 April 2004 8:45 PM To:
> >RURAL-TRANSPORT-DEVELOPMENT at JISCMAIL.AC.UK Subject: WHO report on
> >Road Traffic Injury Prevention
> >
> >
> >Dear colleagues
> >
> >The WHO has just put out its World Report on Road Traffic Injury
> >Prevention (see links at the end of this email).  I have just skimmed
> >the introductory chapters.  The statistics speak for themselves - 1.2
> >million people killed per year begs that resources are channelled to
> >a War Against Traffic Accidents!
> >
> >At the IFRTD Executive Committee meeting in November 2003 we
> >had a considered discussion on road safety.   It would seem to me
> >that road traffic injuries are correlated with  the increase in high
> >speed road networks and increased motorisation.  The 'vulnerable road
> >users' (pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists - and perhaps other
> >non-motorised transport users ) are the most at risk but perhaps also
> >the least likely to benefit from motorisation and highways. So, from
> >the perspective of reducing vulnerability of poor people, do we not
> >also need a road traffic injury prevention strategy that questions
> >the dominant paradigm of high speed motorisation?
> >
> >The following xtract from a contribution to the sustran email network
> >shows that the World Bank (a co-author with WHO of the publication)
> >finds it difficult to 'walk the talk':
> >
> >"  Providing uninterrupted speed to vehicles results in higher
> >accidents yet the authorites plan for super highways within cities
> >and expressways cutting through rural areas..... The World Bank
> >bemoans high road accident rate in Mumbai, a city of  12 million plus
> >residents yet has extended liberal loan for Mumbai Urban Transport
> >Project. in which construction of expressways and flyovers
> >predominate. Now six lane carriageways are increased to eight with no
> >pavements.  The Bank further records that pedestrians form  95% of
> >accident victims and turned down citizen request for construction of
> >pavements.  Is this how the poverty is reduced........ "
> >
> >I hope this will spark some discussion on this issue of road
> >safety...
> >
> >Priyanthi Fernando
> >IFRTD
> >
> >
> >LINKS
> >
> >To download the report:
> >
> >http://www.who.int/world-health-
> >day/2004/infomaterials/world_report/en/
> >
> >Developing country organisations can order a hard copy from the WHO
> >bookshop for 15 Swiss francs which is about 13.50 USD
> >
> >http://www.who.int/bookorders/anglais/detart1.jsp?sesslan=1&codlan
> >=1&codcol=15&codcch=572
> >
> >
> >Priyanthi Fernando
> >Executive Secretary, IFRTD
> >113-114Spitfire Studios,
> >  63-71 Collier Street
> >London N1 9BE. United Kingdom
> >Tel: +44 20 7713 6699
> >Fax: +44 20 7713 8290
> >Email:  priyanthi.fernando at ifrtd.org OR ifrtd at ifrtd.org
> >Web: www.ifrtd.org
> >
> >IFRTD provides a framework for collaboration between individuals and
> >organisations interested in issues of access & mobility as they
> >affect the lives of rural people in developing countries.
> 
> 
> Sincerely,
> Todd Litman, Director
> Victoria Transport Policy Institute
> "Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"
> 1250 Rudlin Street
> Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada
> Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560
> Email: litman at vtpi.org
> Website: http://www.vtpi.org
> 
> 

*******************************************************
Roelof Wittink, Director
I-ce = Interface for Cycling Expertise
Trans 3, 3512 JJ Utrecht, The Netherlands
tel: +31 (0)30 2304521  fax: +31 (0)30 2312384
email (general): i-ce at cycling.nl
email (personal): roelof.wittink at cycling.nl
website: www.i-ce.info
*******************************************************

-------------- next part --------------
The following section of this message contains a file attachment
prepared for transmission using the Internet MIME message format.
If you are using Pegasus Mail, or any other MIME-compliant system,
you should be able to save it or view it from within your mailer.
If you cannot, please ask your system administrator for assistance.

   ---- File information -----------
     File:  CREATING final one.DOC
     Date:  13 Feb 2004, 10:24
     Size:  97792 bytes.
     Type:  Unknown
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: CREATING final one.DOC
Type: application/octet-stream
Size: 97792 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/private/sustran-discuss/attachments/20040514/8ad42ad2/CREATINGfinalone-0001.bin