Title: Road safety - implications for sustainable development in Latin America

Authors: Barbara Stolte Bezerra; Ilza Machado Kaiser; Rosane Aparecida Gomes Battistelle

Addresses: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNESP – Univ Estadual Paulista, Eng. Luiz Edmundo Carrijo Coube Avenue, 14-01, ZIP Cope 17033-360, Bauru - SP - Brazil ' Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNESP – Univ Estadual Paulista, Eng. Luiz Edmundo Carrijo Coube Avenue, 14-01, ZIP Cope 17033-360, Bauru - SP - Brazil ' Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNESP – Univ Estadual Paulista, Eng. Luiz Edmundo Carrijo Coube Avenue, 14-01, ZIP Cope 17033-360, Bauru - SP - Brazil

Abstract: Road accidents cause more deaths than homicides in Latin America, nevertheless it is not highlighted as a major concern by media and society. World Health Organization put this issue in high priority by releasing the Decade of Action in Road Safety that establishes five pillars to guide national road safety plans and activities. This paper addresses the drawbacks in the implementation of these actions in Latin American countries and its implications to achieve a sustainable development. The main concerns are: lack of empowerment of the road safety management organisations; lower vehicular standards; corruption related to the enforcement of traffic safety laws to and to the construction of safer roads; absence of safety vehicular inspections; vehicle fleet increase, decrease of public transportation demand; and the absence of a safety culture. Without facing these problems, sustainable development in Latin America will be impaired, once road safety is a fundamental link to achieve sustainability.

Keywords: Latin America; road safety; sustainable development; sustainability; sustainable transport; road accidents; empowerment; safety management; vehicle standards; corruption; law enforcement; traffic safety laws; road construction; safety inspections; vehicle inspections; vehicle fleet increase; public transport demand; safety culture.

DOI: 10.1504/LAJMSD.2015.067470

Latin American Journal of Management for Sustainable Development, 2015 Vol.2 No.1, pp.1 - 18

Received: 24 May 2013
Accepted: 19 Jun 2013
Published online: 14 Feb 2015 *

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