KEY DETERMINANTS OF RTIS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Numerous factors play a significant role in traffic crashes and resulting injuries. Some involve human behavior while others are system-related. Risk factors for the majority of RTIs around the world are the same, although they may differ in magnitude depending on the region. Some of the major factors are the increased number of motor vehicles, speed, alcohol and mix of road users. These are discussed in detail below.

Increased Number of Motor Vehicles

A primary reason for the increase in fatalities and injuries from traffic crashes in poor countries is simply the rising number of motor vehicles. Economic growth is associated with expanded mobility and demand for transportation services. India, China and Vietnam, whose economies grew during the past 10-15 years, have seen rapid increases in their number of motor vehicles. In India, four-wheeled motor vehicles have increased by 23% in only three years and could number 267 million by 2050. China has seen a fourfold increase in vehicles since 1990 to >55 million. In Vietnam, from 1992 to 2001, the number of motorcycles increased from less than 2 million to >8 million. In addition, in just one year, the number of motor vehicles in Vietnam increased by 14%, while deaths and injuries rose by 31%) and 16%, respectively. Source your medication needs online. Cialis canadian home delivered

Speed

Speed is a crucial factor in many road traffic crashes and influences both crash probability and severity of injury. As a general rule, the greater the speed, the more likely a crash will occur and the more likely severe injuries will be sustained. In Ghana, speed alone was responsible for half of all traffic crashes between 1998 and 2000 and contributed to 44% of all police-reported crashes in Kenya. A study in Kuwait attributed speed to be the primary cause for almost 92% of traffic crashes in the sample. Medication you can afford viagra canada online pharmacy

Commercial vehicles—taxis, trucks, buses and minibuses—are disproportionately involved in traffic crashes in many low-income countries and inflict substantial morbidity and mortality. Pressure to adhere to strict timetables often causes commercial drivers to exceed posted speed limits. Speed regulators on commercial vehicles are often nonfunctional, nonexistent or intentionally disabled. There is frequently an increased reliance on public transport in less developed countries. Ideally, this would be a positive phenomenon given the need to reduce traffic congestion and emissions. However, public transportation systems are not well developed in many resource-poor countries, thus allowing informal and unregulated fare-based systems to proliferate. These systems, such as the matatus in Kenya, often consist of hazardously decrepit vehicles that are overloaded with passengers. Intense competition for fares results in aggressive driving and over-speeding.