Pedestrians

The physical separation of pedestrians from traffic has been shown to reduce pedestrian injuries and deaths. Despite this, sidewalks are primarily limited to urban areas, even in developed countries, leaving semiurban and rural inhabitants to walk along roadways. Urban sidewalks may be crowded with ven dors, in disrepair or simply not used. In Karachi, Pakistan, it was observed that encroachments on sidewalks were a prime cause of pedestrians stepping onto the road. Predictive models based on traffic data gathered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, indicate that wider sidewalks result in increased pedestrian safety. Furthermore, a raised curb on the road edge reduced pedestrian accidents by 46% on undivided roads. Sidewalks are feasible for developing countries because they are inexpensive but must be accompa-nied by educational campaigns to increase public awareness. Also, a review of evidence-based traffic engineering measures revealed that physical barriers, such as fences or dividers, are effective in reducing pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes. These act to prevent midblock crossing and channel pedestrians to safe crossing areas. During this period of increased traffic, governments must understand the need to allocate resources for creating sidewalks or barricades to protect this most vulnerable group.

Cross-Cutting Interventions

Cross-cutting interventions aim to protect all road users. Some interventions limit vehicle speed through various traffic calming measures. Speed can be restricted by placing speed bumps or rumble strips at high-frequency crash sites or by enforcing posted speed limits. In industrialized nations, speed limits are enforced by police, but in low-income countries, this is difficult due to resource constraints. For example, the police force in Ghana is comprised of nearly 16,500 officers who are assigned only 145 vehicles for a country with over 18 million inhabitants. This number of vehicles is totally inadequate to properly enforce almost any policy, be it seat belt use or drunk driving. Speed bumps or rumble strips are therefore a viable option for poor countries because they are highly cost-effective and simple to install. These are also particularly well suited for protecting residents who live near rural intercity highways. A systematic review of controlled before-after studies has shown an 11% reduction in RTIs due to traffic calming techniques, such as speed bumps, mini-roundabouts and road narrowing. These interventions have the potential to reduce RTIs and fatalities in less developed countries. Save on your pharmacy bills. Buy order imitrex online

Cross-cutting interventions also include measures to reduce the effects of alcohol on road users. Sobriety checkpoints, lower ВАС and minimum drinking age laws in HICs have reduced alcohol-related crashes, injuries/fatalities and extent of impaired driving. However, the transferability of these interventions to less developed nations—particularly those that are very poor—is unknown. As alcohol is a primary risk factor for RTIs, developing nations could begin by establishing the prevalence of drinking and driving. This could be done through random roadside surveys using breathalyzers and testing for blood alcohol among fatally injured drivers. Once prevalence has been established, targeted interventions and rational policies could be developed. Make your pharmacy dollar go further and buy medication skelaxin online