tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/road-accidents-57767/articlesRoad accidents – The Conversation2023-11-02T00:51:24Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2144762023-11-02T00:51:24Z2023-11-02T00:51:24ZOur children are victims of road violence. We need to talk about the deadly norms of car use<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/556030/original/file-20231026-21-v3jamv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=298%2C0%2C3236%2C2160&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/female-kid-running-front-driving-car-1537350902">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The deaths and injuries caused by car drivers are an everyday occurrence. This road violence has become normalised. We take it for granted as the price we have to pay to use our cars. </p>
<p>Globally, car crashes are the world’s <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries">leading cause of death</a> for people aged five to 25. In Australia, road deaths included <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/statistics/safety/fatal_road_crash_database">293 people in this age group</a> in 2022, a rise from 281 in 2019 and 276 in 2018. </p>
<p>These deaths are stark reminders of the structural problem with a deeply entrenched, car-dominated culture. The huge numbers of deaths and injuries on our roads are a result of choosing to build our society around cars. This degree of harm does not seem to draw the same level of outrage as any other form of violence would. </p>
<p>As we argue in a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14733285.2023.2270444">newly published paper</a>, these tragedies will continue unless we recognise the consequences of our ongoing misguided choices. We must act with the urgency this situation deserves.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/despite-lockdowns-1-142-australians-including-66-kids-died-on-our-roads-in-the-past-year-heres-what-we-need-to-do-170021">Despite lockdowns, 1,142 Australians, including 66 kids, died on our roads in the past year. Here's what we need to do</a>
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<h2>Lives lost and lives blighted</h2>
<p>These figures represent real people and real lives. </p>
<p>In March 2023, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-22/teenagers-hit-by-truck-on-kensington-road-at-marryatville/102128556">a truck hit two 16-year-olds</a> who were crossing at pedestrian lights in front of their inner-city Adelaide school. Both were rushed to hospital with serious injuries.</p>
<p>Three months later, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-22/sa-woman-in-serious-condition-after-being-hit-by-car-in-adelaide/102512202">a four-wheel-drive hit a 38-year-old woman and her six-year-old daughter</a> who were crossing the street next to their school in the Adelaide CBD. The woman was pinned under the car. The six-year-old was also dragged under the car and pulled out by another parent.</p>
<p>In September 2023, <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/boy-8-critically-injured-after-car-hits-children-playing-in-melbourne-s-west-20230825-p5dzha.html">a car hit an eight-year-old boy</a> who was playing soccer with his three-year-old brother in a suburban Melbourne laneway. He was trapped between two vehicles for about 20 minutes. He had life-threatening injuries.</p>
<h2>Not some isolated accidents</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262516129/fighting-traffic/">underlying causes</a> of car crashes and their link to planning and transport policies continue to be ignored. </p>
<p>These policies have promoted <a href="https://theconversation.com/were-still-fighting-city-freeways-after-half-a-century-127722">car-based infrastructure</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/urban-sprawl-is-not-a-dirty-word-if-the-priority-is-to-meet-all-kids-needs-it-should-be-208670">urban sprawl</a>. Public transport and active transport such as walking and cycling have <a href="https://theconversation.com/cycling-and-walking-are-short-changed-when-it-comes-to-transport-funding-in-australia-92574">been neglected</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/urban-sprawl-is-not-a-dirty-word-if-the-priority-is-to-meet-all-kids-needs-it-should-be-208670">Urban sprawl is 'not a dirty word'? If the priority is to meet all kids' needs, it should be</a>
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<p>Children are the victims of our obsession with allowing heavy, fast-moving vehicles in our everyday spaces, including around schools. </p>
<p>The freedom of car drivers comes at the expense of the freedom of all others. At the same time, the environment and society bear most of the costs of this car culture. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/japans-old-enough-and-australias-bluey-remind-us-our-kids-are-no-longer-free-range-but-we-can-remake-our-neighbourhoods-187698">Japan's Old Enough and Australia's Bluey remind us our kids are no longer ‘free range’ – but we can remake our neighbourhoods</a>
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<h2>A form of victim-blaming</h2>
<p>In the Adelaide inner-city crash in March, responses included pruning a tree, so it didn’t obscure a traffic light, and <a href="https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/new-safety-measures-will-be-installed-at-pedestrian-crossing-outside-marryatville-high-school/news-story/2bd9d8cb0527b43c7892fe721910d5bb">auditing pedestrian crossings</a>. Red-and-white-striped wrapping was added to the traffic light poles, along with signs telling pedestrians to “stop, look and listen” before stepping on a street. </p>
<p>These inconsequential modifications mostly target the potential victims, which highlights our <a href="https://darajapress.com/publication/dark-pr-how-corporate-disinformation-harms-our-health-and-the-environment">state of denial</a> of the role of cars. It reinforces the privileged position of cars and their drivers –children are the ones who need to be disciplined and reminded to be more alert and careful around cars. </p>
<p>It’s essentially a form of <a href="https://darajapress.com/publication/dark-pr-how-corporate-disinformation-harms-our-health-and-the-environment">victim blaming</a>. Instead of reducing the source of violence, we tell everybody to be more careful around it.</p>
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<img alt="Child on road flings out arms as car approaches – as seen through the windscreen" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/556039/original/file-20231026-23-vcv9le.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/556039/original/file-20231026-23-vcv9le.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556039/original/file-20231026-23-vcv9le.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556039/original/file-20231026-23-vcv9le.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556039/original/file-20231026-23-vcv9le.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556039/original/file-20231026-23-vcv9le.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/556039/original/file-20231026-23-vcv9le.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">In focusing our response to road trauma on telling children to be more careful, we are essentially victim-blaming.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/on-windshield-view-motion-image-children-444608659">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>Normalisation of crashes must stop</h2>
<p>Neglecting the root causes of these crashes stops us taking more effective action.</p>
<p>We could, for instance, reduce the space allocated to cars by creating car-free or no-parking zones. We could reduce the speed limits for cars to be closer to the average speeds of walking (6 kilometres per hour — the accepted speed in most holiday parks) or cycling (15-20km/h). And we could create disincentives such as higher <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-26/a-new-way-to-curb-the-rise-of-oversized-pickups-and-suvs">registration</a> and <a href="https://www.drive.com.au/news/suv-drivers-in-paris-higher-parking-fees/">parking fees</a> to discourage the use of increasingly large vehicles, which multiply the collision risks for those outside them.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/busted-5-myths-about-30km-h-speed-limits-in-australia-160547">Busted: 5 myths about 30km/h speed limits in Australia</a>
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<p>Car crashes are also normalised through the <a href="https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/movement-9781922310798">way in which they are brought to public attention</a>. We stop hearing about these crashes a few days after they occur, and we rarely hear about their <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198220300208">long-term and far-reaching effects</a>. </p>
<p>In the crash involving a woman and her six-year-old, the girl was reported to be lucky to avoid severe injuries. Similarly, it was reported the younger brother of the boy trapped between two cars escaped serious injury. </p>
<p>These reports do not capture the trauma of a six-year-old who heard her mother’s screams while both were forced under a moving two-tonne metal object. They overlook the impact on a three-year-old who sees his brother’s body being crushed between two cars. </p>
<p>These reports also rarely capture the trauma other family members and friends endure, probably for the rest of their lives. And don’t forget the severe impacts on the lives of the driver, first responders and bystanders. </p>
<p>The rippling impacts of these crashes remain largely hidden from the public. As does their systemic nature.</p>
<h2>To end this violence we must rethink our priorities</h2>
<p>We should refuse to accept that vehicles hitting children are “<a href="https://www.roadpeace.org/get-involved/crash-not-accident/">accidents</a>” or unavoidable outcomes of our essential lifestyles. </p>
<p>We can choose to reclaim the status we give to cars in our everyday spaces. The price we pay, both social and environmental, is too high to sustain. We have plenty of better and safer travel choices, such as active and public transport.</p>
<p>We need to recognise that the car threatens children’s safety and their right to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17450101.2023.2200146">independently roam public spaces</a>. This directly threatens their <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780128146941/transport-and-childrens-wellbeing">long-term health and wellbeing</a>. </p>
<p>Car drivers’ rights are not more important than children’s rights to be safe on our streets. The interests of those who oppose measures such as reduced car parking or lower speed limits should not be more important than our children’s wellbeing. No benefit of a pro-car policy can be greater than the benefit of children’s active presence in public spaces, where they have a right to be imperfect and distracted. </p>
<p>As a society, a public conversation about reassessing our priorities is well overdue. Only then can we challenge the unquestioned status of the car and our tendency to take the violence that it generates for granted.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214476/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marco te Brömmelstroet received funding from the Dutch organisation for academic research NWO and the European ERC. He is affiliated with the Urban Cycling Institute and works for the Lab of Thought. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hulya Gilbert does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>We accept the daily toll of road deaths and injuries as the price we pay to be able to drive everywhere, but it doesn’t have to be this way.Hulya Gilbert, Lecturer in Planning and Human Geography, La Trobe UniversityMarco te Brömmelstroet, Professor in Urban Mobility Futures, University of AmsterdamLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2132402023-09-21T01:27:10Z2023-09-21T01:27:10ZAre Australia’s roads becoming more dangerous? Here’s what the data says<p>In 2022, there were nearly <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/road_trauma_2022.pdf">1,200 road crash deaths</a> in Australia – a figure that has remained largely the same over the past decade. However, some states and territories have seen dramatic increases in just the last five years, such as the ACT (100%), Tasmania (59.4%) and Queensland (21.2%). </p>
<p>Serious injuries from road crashes have also been <a href="https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiMGVlZDM0YzQtNWI3Mi00YzAyLWI5YjUtZGQyYzc3YjJmMmY3IiwidCI6ImFhMjFiNjQwLWJhYzItNDU2ZC04NTA1LWYyY2MwN2Y1MTc4NCJ9">on the rise</a>, from 35,000 in 2013 to 39,866 in 2019. </p>
<p>These statistics highlight the need for an urgent rethink of road safety policies if we are to achieve Australia’s <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/australias-road-deaths-rise-despite-push-to-halve-fatalities-by-2030/vcl7yj50g">target</a> of a 50% decrease in fatalities and a 30% decrease in serious injuries by 2030. We are clearly not on track to meet these targets.</p>
<p>People are worth more than statistics, though. And it is not surprising we haven’t seen decreases in road deaths when we rely on strategies first implemented three to four decades ago. Change is needed to prevent the ongoing trauma caused by road crashes to Australian families.</p>
<h2>Why have road trauma rates not declined?</h2>
<p>Australia has long had an international reputation for pioneering road safety measures, such as seat belt restraints, speed management strategies (including speed cameras) and drink-driving laws, among others. In fact, Australia was the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00137361">first country</a> in the world to introduce laws for compulsory seat belt use. </p>
<p>These initiatives have been highly successful in reducing road deaths from their peak in 1970, when <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/1301.0Feature%20Article412001?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=1301.0&issue=2001&num=&view=">3,798</a> were recorded. But in the past two decades, further progress has stalled. We must ask ourselves why.</p>
<p>One theory to explain why road deaths may have increased in many states in the past couple of years is the pandemic. The previously empty roads are now congested again, which may have led to impatience and speeding. Or perhaps, some people have seemingly forgotten how to drive safely. However, there is another, perhaps simpler explanation.</p>
<p>This chart shows how closely road deaths have tracked with domestic fuel sales in Australia – measured in millions of litres of fuel – since 2019. In simple terms, when driving rates decreased at the beginning of the pandemic, deaths and injuries went down. When driving rates increased again in early 2021, deaths and injuries went up.</p>
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<p>In fact, there is scant evidence to suggest people’s driving behaviours changed during this time. Our recent unpublished research followed approximately 800 drivers from January 2020 to March 2023 using monitoring systems inside their cars to measure their behaviour. We found no differences in driver behaviours during this time. </p>
<p>Rather, there’s a more likely reason why road deaths and injuries continue to be so high: the amount of time we spend driving continues to increase, while our strategies to target the risks associated with driving haven’t changed. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, government agencies continue to rely on strategies implemented over the past 20-30 years, which were effective when they were first introduced, but are now subject to the law of diminishing marginal returns. This means continually throwing more resources at existing speed management strategies, for example, will likely only see marginal benefits. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/despite-lockdowns-1-142-australians-including-66-kids-died-on-our-roads-in-the-past-year-heres-what-we-need-to-do-170021">Despite lockdowns, 1,142 Australians, including 66 kids, died on our roads in the past year. Here's what we need to do</a>
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<h2>A new approach not focused on cars</h2>
<p>There is increasing urgency to investigate and implement new road safety strategies based on emerging technologies and a redesign of our cities instead. </p>
<p>For example, a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0001457521003092">recent Australian trial</a> using new driving monitoring technology showed promise in reducing risky driving behaviours that could cause crashes. The monitoring systems provided feedback to the driver (via a smartphone app) and encouraged safer driving using financial incentives akin to insurance premiums. This new strategy is being explored further in three states: New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. </p>
<p>Encouraging people to transition from private car trips to public transport is another road safety strategy that has seldom been considered by governments. Rather, the driver, car and road remain the focus. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/driving-on-less-than-5-hours-of-sleep-is-just-as-dangerous-as-drunk-driving-study-finds-202514">Driving on less than 5 hours of sleep is just as dangerous as drunk-driving, study finds</a>
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<p>This <a href="https://www.roadsafety.gov.au/nrss/fact-sheets/vision-zero-safe-system">“safe system” approach</a> puts an emphasis on building safe road infrastructure for cars, while ignoring urban design changes that de-emphasise the need for cars. We should be encouraging more people to commute by rail, tram and bus (all lower-risk modes per kilometre travelled), while at the same time delivering safe infrastructure for sustainable transport such as bicycles/e-bicycles or walking.</p>
<p>If we continue to tinker with strategies implemented many decades ago, we will never get close to achieving the lofty government targets on road deaths and injuries by 2030.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213240/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Stevenson receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Research Council. He is a director in the start-up company Urban Analytica Pty Ltd.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jason Thompson is a current ARC Future Fellow, chief investigator on the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence for Better Outcomes in Compensable Injury, chief investigator on the NHMRC-funded Feedback Trial, and member of the Australasian College of Road Safety.
</span></em></p>Road deaths have remained stubbornly high in Australia over the past decade. Do we have the right strategies in place to address the problem?Mark Stevenson, Professor of Urban Transport and Public Health, The University of MelbourneJason Thompson, Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Melbourne School of Design, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2093832023-07-26T14:56:09Z2023-07-26T14:56:09ZPedestrians in Ghana are risking their lives – we studied what’s distracting them while walking<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537613/original/file-20230716-117608-g3zaz0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Walking is a popular mode of transportation in Ghana</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikimedia Commons/Linda Fletcher Dabo</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Walking has health and environmental benefits – but it’s not always a person’s choice for getting around. And it does come with hazards. <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/02-05-2013-more-than-270-000-pedestrians-killed-on-roads-each-year">One fifth</a> of the people killed on the roads globally are pedestrians. </p>
<p>In Ghana, like other developing countries, walking is the main mode of travel. A 2012 survey found that <a href="https://www2.statsghana.gov.gh/docfiles/publications/Second%20National%20Household%20Transport%20Survey%20Report%202012.pdf#page=iv">64.4%</a> of the workforce went to work on foot. </p>
<p>Ghana’s <a href="https://www.ghana.gov.gh/mdas/3c5160e416/">National Road Safety Authority</a> <a href="https://myjoyonline.com/road-accidents-claimed-2924-lives-in-2021/">reported</a> 2,930 pedestrians were knocked down in 2021 and 831 died. </p>
<p>Pedestrians are vulnerable for several reasons. The design of road infrastructure is one. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259715300_Urban_Infrastructure_Design_and_Pedestrian_Safety_in_the_Kumasi_Central_Business_District_Ghana">Research</a> has shown that the absence of sidewalks forces pedestrians into the road, exposing them to motorised transport that heightens the risk of traffic crashes and injuries. </p>
<p>Risky in-traffic pedestrian walking behaviour is also a factor. Consuming alcohol, chatting with others, and using a mobile phone all heighten the risk of injuries. </p>
<p>As transport geographers we set out to discover what distracts pedestrians in Accra’s main business district. Our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21650020.2023.2220574">study</a> discovered that the use of mobile devices, poorly designed infrastructure and advanced age all played a role. We suggest the city needs pedestrian friendly infrastructure and local laws to regulate walking behaviour.</p>
<h2>Digital devices distract pedestrians</h2>
<p>We chose to study the central business district of the capital, Accra, since it <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21650020.2023.2220574">accounts</a> for 57.6% of pedestrian accidents within the <a href="https://www.ama.gov.gh/">Accra Metropolitan Assembly</a>. It also records high foot traffic, being a major economic hub in Ghana. </p>
<p>The study engaged 400 commuters. We asked respondents to rank various activities they commonly engaged in while walking. A five-point scale indicated the extent of their engagement in these activities. </p>
<p>The respondents’ top four distracting activities involved using digital devices like mobile phones. Listening to music on a mobile phone emerged as the major distraction: 79% of respondents ranked it as their most common distractive activity. Making or receiving phone calls and conversing with other people while walking (2nd and 3rd) followed. Browsing the internet on mobile phones ranked 4th, and was widespread among those aged 9-24 and 27-42. </p>
<h2>Who is distracted?</h2>
<p>The study also indicated that sex, age, level of education, occupation, reasons for walking and weekly time spent walking were significant predictors of distractions. </p>
<p>Male pedestrians were more than twice as likely to engage in distractive activities. This is consistent with the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ssqu.13079">expectations</a> of some behaviour experts. </p>
<p>On age, the data revealed a significant association between commuters aged 49-59 and distracted walking. A growing body of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/131608">literature</a> has identified older people as engaging in distracted walking since they are less likely to estimate their walking environment accurately. Even looking at signage or objects of interest, buying items, or conversing with other pedestrians may increase their risk of injury. </p>
<p>Respondents with senior high school education (nine years of basic education) were also more prone to distraction. Evidence shows that <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1243880.pdf*page=1">most</a> Ghanaians end their education at this level. Working in the informal economy as hawkers or in other businesses encroaching on sidewalks, people are likely to compete with pedestrians for space or run after moving cars to sell their wares. </p>
<p>Relative to respondents who walked only for short trips, respondents who walked as part of their job recorded a far higher likelihood of engaging in distractive behaviour. Most of their day is spent walking, engaged in activities like sales or marketing, providing a courier service, or hawking. </p>
<p>Finally, time allocated to walking made a difference to behaviour. Whether weekly or daily, respondents who dedicated more time to walking in the CBD were more likely to walk in a distracted way.</p>
<h2>Safety plans</h2>
<p>Accra already has a <a href="https://www.ama.gov.gh/documents/Pedestrian-Safety-Action-Plan-FOR-PRINT-INDIVIDUAL-PAGES.PDF.pdf">pedestrian safety action plan</a>, but it focuses on the built environment rather than on behaviour. This study suggested the plan should include a policy statement on pedestrian walking behaviour.</p>
<p>The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (the administrative authority) can enact laws restricting pedestrians from listening to music with headphones, making phone calls while crossing roads or engaging in unwarranted conversations. </p>
<p>Additionally, the National Road Safety Authority and Ghana Police Service should collaborate on educational outreach programmes on all media platforms. They should focus on the dangers and causes of distractive walking. </p>
<p>Interventions like these offer the chance to reduce pedestrian injuries in Accra.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209383/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The city of Accra has no plan to tackle pedestrians’ behaviour.Prince Kwame Odame, Lecturer, Geography Education, University of Education, WinnebaEnoch F Sam, Head of Department , Department of Geography Education, University of Education, WinnebaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1681272021-10-07T14:50:20Z2021-10-07T14:50:20ZStandard responses to road accidents haven’t worked in Ghana: here are some alternatives<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/423830/original/file-20210929-32-144zupy.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">There are calls to declare road accidents a public health scare in Ghana</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Car_crash.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Road traffic accidents remain a major public health and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-020-0502-8">development challenge in Ghana</a>. They are among the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/countries/Ghana/">top 10 causes of deaths</a>, draining <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-020-00695-5">2.54% of its gross domestic product</a> annually. Some recent reports suggest that between January and July 2021, about 8 deaths and 43 injuries were recorded <a href="https://twitter.com/Elvis_Ekg/status/1430099309366816770/photo/1">daily on Ghana’s roads</a>. </p>
<p>The recent surge in road deaths and injuries has ignited demands for a sharper policy focus on road carnage. The conversation, however, appears to be heavily oriented towards doing more of the existing control measures. These are the so-called 3Es: education; enforcement and engineering.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0001457514002383">contemporary science or best practice</a> in road safety management is shifting towards an understanding of the wider societal factors that might impact road safety. It is also about the <a href="https://theconversation.com/rethinking-the-causes-of-road-trauma-societys-problems-must-share-the-blame-82383">exploitation of these factors</a> in interventions. This major shift, however, remains inadequately considered in the current search for solutions to make Ghana’s roads safer.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-fines-and-jail-time-wont-change-the-behaviour-of-ghanas-minibus-drivers-155379">Why fines and jail time won't change the behaviour of Ghana's minibus drivers</a>
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<h2>Fixing ‘bad’ drivers is not enough</h2>
<p>I <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-020-00695-5#Sec5">set out to explore</a> why Ghana cannot arrest or educate its way out of its road traffic malaise. I argue that the present public policy of hunting for rogue drivers to make roads safer is akin to killing mosquitoes one by one to control malaria. The problem with it, as noted <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/320/7237/768?ath_user=efschouston002&ath_ttok=%253CTPEEDaMygDfSrj8WwQ%253E">elsewhere</a>, is that the mosquitoes could still keep coming. The best remedy is to drain the swamp that breeds them.</p>
<p>Consider, the troubling issue of drunk driving, for instance, which many a Ghanaian insists could be simply resolved through more arrests, prosecutions and longer prison sentences. A recent <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15389588.2018.1556792?journalCode=gcpi20">study</a> on behavioural influences on driver crash risks in Ghana reported that commercial drivers, forced by poor working conditions to drive for long hours often resort to alcohol and other similar substances to ‘stay alert’. </p>
<p>Undoubtedly, increased policing and imprisonment could help identify and remove some of these drivers from the roads. But that alone will not resolve the precarious working conditions and job insecurities that incentivise inappropriate use of alcohol and other substances as coping mechanisms. </p>
<p>The result of this, <a href="https://theconversation.com/rethinking-the-causes-of-road-trauma-societys-problems-must-share-the-blame-82383">as shown elsewhere</a>, is that while some drug and alcohol-affected drivers will be arrested and punished, impact will be minimal. This is because little is done to tackle wider societal influences of their misuse and addiction.</p>
<p>Clearly, fixing the worrying impact of alcohol and other substance abuses on road safety outcomes in Ghana will require thinking beyond the present traditional domains of safety education, and the highly preferred law enforcement-heavy measure of declaring ‘<a href="https://www.modernghana.com/news/947634/citi-tvs-war-against-indiscipline-matters-arisin.html">wars</a>’ on drivers.</p>
<p>Second, the 3Es often narrow policy options to fixing the behaviour of the usual suspects – drivers and the road environment. The problem with this is that other key actors, processes and practices that also heavily influence safety outcomes are seldom considered. </p>
<p>For instance, from a prevention point of view, does it also matter who fixes or repairs the cars drivers operate? Does it matter who trains them and the nature of the training that gives them power to make quality assurance judgements on vehicles that carry people? </p>
<p>There is also the well-documented exploitation in the commercial passenger transport sector. This solicits and compels unhealthy driving practices from drivers to make as many trips as possible to raise revenue to settle high sales targets set by car owners, cover operational and other costs including police bribes. </p>
<p>The 3Es afford little opportunity to learn from these and other sets of socially organised circumstances that produce harmful driving practices and adverse road safety outcomes in the country.</p>
<p>Moreover, however troubling road trauma is, resource constraints will mean that not all potential solutions can be funded or be meaningfully implemented. Other problems in the country also demand policy resources. This raises the need for careful investment in interventions with the potential to help solve, at the same time, a multiple number of the longstanding problems that continue to resist current interventions. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-020-00695-5">I show that</a> wider societal level interventions that go beyond the traditional 3Es could yield such outcomes in Ghana. Consider prioritising investment in efficient public transport such as rail and big buses, for instance.</p>
<p>The evidence in countries like Japan suggest that, these transportation options, together with the promotion of non-motorised forms of non-commercial transport such as bicycles, have the potential to reduce meaningfully heavy reliance on private cars – <a href="https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/private-cars-dominate-road-accident-statistics.html">which dominate road traffic crashes in Ghana</a>.</p>
<p>Presently, it is estimated that, together with taxis, private cars occupy more than half of <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-020-00695-5#ref-CR16">Ghana’s road space</a>. Cutting down the use of private cars through improved public transport systems could yield widespread sustainable safety outcomes. Reducing the number of private cars on the roads means reducing the number of private car-related crashes, injuries and deaths. Also, since private cars occupy a chunk of the road space, reducing their use will significantly bring down the traffic congestion in the cities.</p>
<p>This could result in reducing fatigue born out of long driving resulting from ‘go slows’ (gridlocks). <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15389588.2018.1556792?journalCode=gcpi20">Some evidence</a> has emerged that part of the reason Ghana suffers several highway crash injuries and deaths is that drivers in the country often resort to aggressive driving practices such as over speeding and reckless overtaking to make up for lost time in traffic when they get to the highways. </p>
<p>Reducing private car use, and to that end, traffic congestion through improved public transport could yield positive outcomes on the highways in terms of reduced incidents of reckless overtaking and speeding. </p>
<p>Importantly, reducing heavy dependence on private cars comes with great environmental and climate gains such as reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ghanas-road-traffic-problems-have-deep-and-spreading-roots-160303">Ghana's road traffic problems have deep and spreading roots</a>
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<hr>
<h2>Time to reorganise cities and society</h2>
<p>A more fundamental issue is the present land-use patterns and ways of organising the Ghanaian society that solicit and compel unnecessary travelling in the country. The result is that many people are put in harm’s way to travel from their places of residence to submit <em>‘documents’</em>, attend <em>‘meetings’</em> or conduct petty businesses in Accra and the other cities in which public and other businesses have been centralised. </p>
<p>Mixed-town planning land-use patterns must be encouraged and investments made in technology to cut down unnecessary travel and reduce exposure to crashes.</p>
<p>Clearly, great opportunities exist for reducing road traffic miseries in Ghana that the intent focus on just the 3Es obscures. Road safety education; road traffic regulation enforcement and road engineering are truly important; their impacts are tangible. It, however, may be time to think beyond them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/168127/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Festival Godwin Boateng does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Current methods of road carnage prevention in Ghana have proved unsuccessful .Festival Godwin Boateng, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Sustainable Urban Development, The Earth Institute, Columbia UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1605472021-05-19T19:56:37Z2021-05-19T19:56:37ZBusted: 5 myths about 30km/h speed limits in Australia<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/400874/original/file-20210516-15-lua5zu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=458%2C356%2C3235%2C2245&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Matthew Mclaughlin</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333554772_Implementation_Principles_for_30_kmh_Speed_Limits_and_Zones?enrichId=rgreq-a6e3ccc24846650f3262dd6a7962103f-XXX&enrichSource=Y292ZXJQYWdlOzMzMzU1NDc3MjtBUzo3NzM2NjAzNzM2ODgzMjFAMTU2MTQ2NjQxNTQzMg%3D%3D&el=1_x_2&_esc=publicationCoverPdf">Five</a> Australian <a href="https://thanksfor30.com.au/about-trial">states</a> and territories are <a href="https://roads-waterways.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/01documents/popup-covid-19-infrastructure/nsw-street-treatments-for-covid-recovery.pdf">trialling</a> or planning 30km/h <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/trial-zone-speed-limits-drop-to-as-low-as-30km-h-in-pedestrian-areas-20200110-p53qhc.html">speed limits</a> and <a href="https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/activetransport/safe-active-streets-program.asp">zones</a>. However, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/newcastleherald/posts/3924248790955449">some people</a> <a href="https://thanksfor30.com.au/about-trial">question</a> if 30km/h speed limits are actually urgent and necessary, or are instead a so-called “<a href="https://theconversation.com/one-hundred-and-fifty-ways-the-nanny-state-is-good-for-us-15587">nanny state</a>” policy or <a href="https://thanksfor30.com.au/about-trial">revenue-raising activity</a>. </p>
<p>Low-speed streets are about much more than road safety and increasing fine revenue. By building safer streets, <a href="https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/policy-and-strategy/planning-for-melbourne/plan-melbourne/20-minute-neighbourhoods">governments</a> and <a href="https://www.weforum.org/videos/paris-is-planning-to-become-a-15-minute-city-897c12513b">cities</a> around the world are creating more <a href="https://theconversation.com/seven-steps-melbourne-can-take-to-regain-its-liveable-city-crown-113726">liveable cities</a>. The benefits include <a href="https://theconversation.com/designed-features-can-make-cities-safer-but-getting-it-wrong-can-be-plain-frightening-100239">low crime levels</a>, more <a href="https://theconversation.com/getting-people-more-active-is-key-to-better-health-here-are-8-areas-for-investment-149558">physically active citizens</a>, greater <a href="https://theconversation.com/designing-cities-to-counter-loneliness-lets-explore-the-possibilities-104853">social connectedness</a>, increased <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01441647.2021.1912849">spending</a> in local businesses and less pollution.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/getting-people-more-active-is-key-to-better-health-here-are-8-areas-for-investment-149558">Getting people more active is key to better health: here are 8 areas for investment</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>Research shows 30km/h speed limits on local residential streets could reduce the Australian road death toll <a href="https://barrosdool.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ACRS-journal-Vol28.3-e-edition-extract.pdf">by 13%</a>. The economic benefit would be about <a href="https://barrosdool.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ACRS-journal-Vol28.3-e-edition-extract.pdf">A$3.5 billion</a> every year. </p>
<p>Learning from other <a href="https://www.brusselstimes.com/belgium/144612/how-brussels-capital-region-generalised-30-km-h-zone-will-work-elke-van-den-brandt-mobility-police-checks-accidents-pedestrians-cyclists-pollution-vub-bas-de-geus-traffic-jams-congestion/">countries</a>, it will be important to run public education campaigns to inform communities and opinion leaders. Another key to success is finding a <a href="https://sadiq.london/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Sadiq-for-London-Manifesto-.pdf">strong political champion</a> of lower speeds in residential streets. </p>
<p>Leadership is needed to counter <a href="https://www.unroadsafetyweek.org/uploads/clickdownbox_tab/myths_and_facts.pdf">myths</a> about 30km/h speed limits that are misinforming public and political opinion. As part of the <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/17-05-2021-streets-for-life-campaign-calls-for-30-km-h-urban-streets-to-ensure-safe-healthy-green-and-liveable-cities">Streets for Life</a> campaign for <a href="https://www.unroadsafetyweek.org/en/home">Global Road Safety Week</a>, the United Nations has <a href="https://www.unroadsafetyweek.org/en/streets-for-life#myths">busted international myths</a> surrounding 30km/h. In support of <a href="https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/media-releases/what-australia-wants">domestic</a> <a href="https://austroads.com.au/publications/road-safety/ap-r507-16/media/AP-R507-16_Public_Demand_for_Safer_Speeds.pdf">demands</a> for 30km/h speed limits, in this article we bust five common myths about 30km/h speed limits in Australia. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401181/original/file-20210518-21-1y1iuso.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing 5 myths about 30km/h zones in Australia and why they're wrong" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401181/original/file-20210518-21-1y1iuso.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401181/original/file-20210518-21-1y1iuso.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401181/original/file-20210518-21-1y1iuso.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401181/original/file-20210518-21-1y1iuso.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401181/original/file-20210518-21-1y1iuso.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=661&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401181/original/file-20210518-21-1y1iuso.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=661&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401181/original/file-20210518-21-1y1iuso.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=661&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Matthew Mclaughlin</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Myth #1: 30km/h limits don’t make a difference</h2>
<p>Road trauma is the <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/life-expectancy-death/deaths-in-australia/contents/leading-causes-of-death">number one cause of death</a> in school-aged children. More than <a href="https://www.roadsafety.gov.au/performance/road-deaths-road-user">1,100</a> Australians die on our roads each year.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401186/original/file-20210518-17-871kdc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chart showing chances of survival for a pedestrian hit by a car at different speeds" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401186/original/file-20210518-17-871kdc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401186/original/file-20210518-17-871kdc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401186/original/file-20210518-17-871kdc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401186/original/file-20210518-17-871kdc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401186/original/file-20210518-17-871kdc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401186/original/file-20210518-17-871kdc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401186/original/file-20210518-17-871kdc.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Data source: NSW Transport Metropolitan Roads (2019)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>The <a href="https://www.nrspp.org.au/resources/fact-sheet-6-improving-pedestrian-safety/">evidence</a> is very clear: the chance of a pedestrian surviving when hit by a car skyrockets when the car’s speed is reduced. The <a href="https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/speeding/">chance of survival</a> jumps from just 10% at 50km/h to 90% at 30km/h. </p>
<p>Speed is the <a href="https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/downloads/road_safety_strategy.pdf">most common</a> contributor to road trauma – more common than alcohol, drugs and fatigue. </p>
<p>To reduce serious injury risk, <a href="https://30please.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ACRS-Safe-Street-Neighbourhoods-2019-Update-vs2.1-WA-NSW.pdf">40km/h speed limits</a> aren’t low enough. The <a href="https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/speeding/">chance of survival</a> when hit by a car improves from 60% at 40km/h to 90% at 30km/h. Reducing speed limits to 30km/h in urban areas such as high pedestrian zones, school zones and local traffic areas is urgently needed to reduce deaths and severe injuries.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401182/original/file-20210518-23-v6k1k0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="chart showing the number of serious injuries on New South Wales roads on roads with different speed limits in urban areas" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401182/original/file-20210518-23-v6k1k0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401182/original/file-20210518-23-v6k1k0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401182/original/file-20210518-23-v6k1k0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401182/original/file-20210518-23-v6k1k0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=367&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401182/original/file-20210518-23-v6k1k0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401182/original/file-20210518-23-v6k1k0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401182/original/file-20210518-23-v6k1k0.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Numbers of serious injuries on New South Wales roads with different speed limits.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/statistics/index.html">* Data source: NSW Transport Metropolitan Roads (2019)</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/downloads/crashstats2019.pdf">Two-thirds</a> of all crashes in New South Wales occur in metro areas. In these areas, <a href="https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/downloads/crashstats2019.pdf">60%</a> of fatal crashes are on local and collector streets (leading to arterial roads) with 50-60km/h speed limits. To achieve road safety <a href="https://www.roadsafety.gov.au/nrss/targets">targets</a> and <a href="https://towardszero.nsw.gov.au/">goals of zero road deaths</a>, a 30km/h speed limit is crucial.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401184/original/file-20210518-19-1py4kr6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A bar chart showing numbers of deaths on New South Wales roads on roads with different speed limits in urban areas." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401184/original/file-20210518-19-1py4kr6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/401184/original/file-20210518-19-1py4kr6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401184/original/file-20210518-19-1py4kr6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401184/original/file-20210518-19-1py4kr6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401184/original/file-20210518-19-1py4kr6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401184/original/file-20210518-19-1py4kr6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/401184/original/file-20210518-19-1py4kr6.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Numbers of deaths on New South Wales roads with different speed limits.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/statistics/index.html">* Data source: NSW Transport Metropolitan Roads (2019)</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/delivery-rider-deaths-highlight-need-to-make-streets-safer-for-everyone-150752">Delivery rider deaths highlight need to make streets safer for everyone</a>
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<h2>Myth #2: 30km/h limits aren’t popular</h2>
<p>How supportive would you be of reducing speed limits in neighbourhood streets to help create safer and more liveable streets for people? Well, according to a recent <a href="https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/media-releases/what-australia-wants">nationally representative poll</a>, about two-thirds of Australians say they want lower speed limits on local streets. </p>
<p>The introduction of 30km/h speed limits around the world shows the popularity of these limits grows rapidly after they take effect and local residents begin to appreciate the <a href="https://www.healthyactivebydesign.com.au/">multitude of benefits</a> from safer streets.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/london-is-proposing-20mph-speed-limits-heres-the-evidence-on-their-effect-on-city-life-102129">London is proposing 20mph speed limits – here's the evidence on their effect on city life</a>
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<h2>Myth #3: 30km/h limits increase journey times</h2>
<p>In urban areas, journey times are affected by more than the speed limit. Key factors include traffic congestion and time spent waiting at traffic signals. One study that considered a reasonably typical 26-minute journey to work calculated the difference between a 50km/h and 30km/h speed limit is <a href="https://30please.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ACRS-Safe-Street-Neighbourhoods-2019-Update-vs2.1-WA-NSW.pdf">less than a minute</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/why-australian-cities-need-post-covid-vision-not-free-parking-150380">Safer and more liveable streets</a> can decrease our reliance on the private car. By shifting private car trips to active and <a href="https://theconversation.com/cycling-and-walking-can-help-drive-australias-recovery-but-not-with-less-than-2-of-transport-budgets-142176">sustainable forms of transport</a>, such as cycling and walking, we can reduce congestion and improve population and environmental health. </p>
<p>Research from <a href="http://content.tfl.gov.uk/speed-emissions-and-health.pdf">Transport for London</a> has indicated that 20mph (32km/h) zones have no net negative effect on emissions due to <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-explained-does-your-driving-speed-make-any-difference-to-your-cars-emissions-140246">smoother driving and less braking</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-explained-does-your-driving-speed-make-any-difference-to-your-cars-emissions-140246">Climate explained: does your driving speed make any difference to your car's emissions?</a>
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<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1360377261677940737"}"></div></p>
<h2>Myth #4: 30km/h limits are anti-motorist</h2>
<p>Reduced speed limits are not anti-motorist and are not about banning cars or the ability to drive. A 30km/h limit is a win-win-win for street users, businesses and motorists – and major motoring groups <a href="https://www-cdn.rac.com.au/-/media/files/rac-website/about-rac/public-policy/17465---public-policy_policy-doc20-21_ebook.pdf?modified=20200722020223&_ga=2.148373364.2136567302.1621155469-250781955.1621155468">agree</a>. </p>
<p>Lower speed limits can lead to <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-8139-5">fewer car crashes</a>, in turn reducing insurance costs and time delayed in traffic by those crashes. </p>
<p>Main road speed limits will remain faster. However, residential streets, shopping streets and streets close to public transport will be slower, to create a more economically vibrant and safer city. That’s because children, older people and people living with disabilities feel safer when going to local schools, shops, services and parks. </p>
<h2>Myth #5: 30km/h limits are about revenue-raising</h2>
<p>Speed limits are a <a href="https://www.20splenty.org/cost_benefit_calculator">low-cost</a> tool in the governments’ toolbox against road deaths. Of course, not everyone obeys speed limits – <a href="https://arsf.com.au/fatality-free-friday-2020/#:%7E:text=Speeding%20is%20the%20most%20common%20with%20two%20thirds%20(68%25),least%20once%20every%20few%20months">two-thirds</a> of Australians admit to speeding. <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-speed-cameras-really-save-lives-87701">Speed enforcement</a> and <a href="http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1136/ip.9.3.200">street design</a> changes may be needed in some cases to reduce driver speed and improve conditions for all street users.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cycling-and-walking-can-help-drive-australias-recovery-but-not-with-less-than-2-of-transport-budgets-142176">Cycling and walking can help drive Australia's recovery – but not with less than 2% of transport budgets</a>
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<p><a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/75877/18/75877.pdf">Enforcement</a> <a href="http://www.dx.doi.org/10.3141/2078-16">works</a> and ensures credibility, because <a href="https://www.healthyactivebydesign.com.au/">no single solution</a> will work alone. For best results, state and territory governments will combine multiple tools to reduce speed, such as <a href="https://30please.org/">speed limits</a>, <a href="https://towardszero.nsw.gov.au/campaigns">public education</a>, <a href="https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/teachers/health/effectdriver.pdf">driver training</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-speed-cameras-really-save-lives-87701">speed enforcement</a> and <a href="http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1136/ip.9.3.200">street design</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/400872/original/file-20210516-23-h7byw6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/400872/original/file-20210516-23-h7byw6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/400872/original/file-20210516-23-h7byw6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/400872/original/file-20210516-23-h7byw6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/400872/original/file-20210516-23-h7byw6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/400872/original/file-20210516-23-h7byw6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/400872/original/file-20210516-23-h7byw6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A Safe Active Street in Perth, Western Australia, combines multiple design features to reduce traffic speed and increase its amenity.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
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<h2>Learn more</h2>
<p>Not convinced? More myths to bust? Check out the Australian campaign <a href="https://30please.org/">30please.org </a>and the global <a href="https://www.unroadsafetyweek.org/en/streets-for-life#myths">United Nations Road Safety Week campaign</a> #Love30 happening this week.</p>
<p>Introducing 30km/h limits is one of a <a href="https://www.healthyactivebydesign.com.au/">suite of measures</a> available to governments to bring about <a href="https://bit.ly/UNGRSW_TGI">six compelling co-benefits</a> to society: road safety, physical activity, air quality, liveability, equity and economic benefits. </p>
<p>All Australian states and territories should urgently introduce 30km/h speed limits to create streets that are safe, accessible and enjoyable for all.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/160547/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matthew 'Tepi' Mclaughlin is affiliated with the International Society for Physical Activity and Health, the Australasian Society for Physical Activity and Newcastle Cycleways Movement. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ben Beck receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Transport Accident Commission, the Victorian Department of Health, VicHealth, RACV, and the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, Canada. He is President of the Australasian Injury Prevention Network (AIPN). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span><a href="mailto:jbrown@georgeinstitute.org.au">jbrown@georgeinstitute.org.au</a> receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Research Council, Australian and State government transport, health and insurance agencies. She heads the Injury program at the George Institute for Global Health and is co-Director of the Transurban Road Safety Centre at NeuRA.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Megan Sharkey is affiliated with SpaceforHealth, the International Society for Physical Activity, London Cycling Campaign, and Transport for NSW.</span></em></p>The push for 30km/h speed limits is not about revenue-raising or anti-cars. Even a seemingly small decrease from 40km/h to 30km/h makes a huge difference to the safety and liveability of local streets.Matthew Mclaughlin, PhD Candidate, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of NewcastleBen Beck, Senior Research Fellow, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash UniversityJulie Brown, Associate Professor, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW, and Program Head, Injury Division, George Institute for Global HealthMegan Sharkey, Urban Studies Research Scholar, University of Westminster, and Adjunct Lecturer, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1603032021-05-12T14:54:43Z2021-05-12T14:54:43ZGhana’s road traffic problems have deep and spreading roots<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/399450/original/file-20210507-13-1vzu9qj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Ghana is struggling to curb a surge in car accidents</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/search/car+accident">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Much has been written about the crashes, congestion and pollution on Ghana’s roads. Road injury is among the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/countries/ghana/pdf/Ghana_Factsheet.pdf">top 10 causes of deaths</a> in the country. One report suggests that about <a href="https://citinewsroom.com/2019/01/road-accident-injuries-deaths-cost-ghana-230m-annually/">$230 million is spent annually</a> on emergency and trauma care associated with motor accidents alone.</p>
<p>The heavy traffic jams don’t just undermine <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2226585617300857">productivity</a>, they also contribute to <a href="https://blogs.worldbank.org/africacan/air-pollution-silent-killer-lagos#:%7E:text=A%20recent%20World%20Bank%20study,the%20highest%20in%20West%20Africa.">respiratory diseases</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030142152030344X">environmental damage</a>. </p>
<p>What’s not so well known, though, is the way systemic factors have moulded the road transport sector into its present problematic form. Inherited colonial systems and externally imposed policies, combined with local conditions, have entrenched the sector’s problems.</p>
<p>I <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-020-00695-5">set out to investigate</a> the colonial, neocolonial and imperial roots of Ghana’s road transport misery, using media, scholarly and institutional sources of information. Building a safe and sustainable road transport sector requires understanding the root causes of the present problems.</p>
<h2>Impact of history</h2>
<p>When Ghana’s economy tumbled in 1983, the military government at the time approached the <a href="https://www.imf.org/en/Home">International Monetary Fund</a> and the <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/home">World Bank</a> for help. The help came with the condition of “<a href="https://www.imf.org/external/np/pfp/ghana/ghana0.htm">structural adjustment”</a> of Ghana’s economy. Most developing countries that applied for support from the World Bank and IMF were made to sign on to similar programmes.</p>
<p>Structural adjustment reforms involve a series of economic interventions. But in Ghana – and elsewhere – the underlying idea was that governments should no longer provide public goods. Privatising many government enterprises would reduce spending and balance the budget, along with making markets more competitive.</p>
<p>These reforms affected road transport in Ghana in untold ways. First, the withdrawal of the state created room for the private sector to be even more involved in transport service delivery. </p>
<p>However, while the <em>tro-tros</em> (minibuses) and <em>okadas</em> (motorcycles) offer flexible and generally affordable services, high <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-fines-and-jail-time-wont-change-the-behaviour-of-ghanas-minibus-drivers-155379">unemployment and lack of labour protections</a> in the sector allow vehicle owners to exploit drivers by imposing high daily revenue targets on them. </p>
<p>These factors, together with the general level of hyper-competition in the commercial passenger transport sector and police corruption, create conditions for dangerous driving behaviour to thrive. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-fines-and-jail-time-wont-change-the-behaviour-of-ghanas-minibus-drivers-155379">Why fines and jail time won't change the behaviour of Ghana's minibus drivers</a>
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<p>Structural adjustment also contributed to the heavy importation of old used cars in Ghana. <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Governance-for-Pro-Poor-Urban-Development-Lessons-from-Ghana/Obeng-Odoom/p/book/9781138672758">Research</a> shows that prior to the IMF and World Bank measures, car importation volumes were <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19463130903561475#:%7E:text=Papers-,Drive%20left%2C%20look%20right%3A%20the%20political%20economy,of%20urban%20transport%20in%20Ghana&text=Car%20usage%20in%20Ghana%20is%20growing%20at%20an%20alarming%20rate.&text=The%20article%20argues%20that%20the,travelling%20since%20the%20mid%2D1980s">modest</a>. </p>
<p>The liberalisation of the economy reversed the trend and opened the floodgate for heavy importation of cars. But only a few of imported cars in Ghana are brand new. The <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19463130903561475#:%7E:text=Papers-,Drive%20left%2C%20look%20right%3A%20the%20political%20economy,of%20urban%20transport%20in%20Ghana&text=Car%20usage%20in%20Ghana%20is%20growing%20at%20an%20alarming%20rate.&text=The%20article%20argues%20that%20the,travelling%20since%20the%20mid%2D1980s.">majority</a> are often second-, third-, fourth-, and even fifth-hand cars. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/26/climate/used-car-export-pollution.html">Research</a> has shown that ageing vehicles are not just highly polluting, they are also highly prone to malfunctioning and, therefore, crashes. </p>
<p>Traffic congestion is another persisting road transport problem in Ghana. It too, has colonial and imperial roots. The reforms attracted enormous private capital investments to Ghana. The problem, however, is that Ghana’s elites have failed to dismantle, and have actually deepened the discriminatory pattern of spatial investment constructed by the British colonial government. </p>
<p>This pattern of spatial investment which favours the south has led to the development infrastructure to support businesses to make profit in that part of the country. And since investors usually want to establish businesses at places where infrastructure exist for them to maximise profit, almost all the investments structural adjustment attracted were directed to the already developed southern industrial enclaves–particularly <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Accra">Accra</a>, <a href="http://tdc.gov.gh/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=3">Tema</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Kumasi">Kumasi</a></p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/poor-policies-not-drivers-are-to-blame-for-ghanas-road-transport-miseries-158542">Poor policies, not drivers, are to blame for Ghana’s road transport miseries</a>
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<p>This on its own should not have been a problem. But, once again, the Ghanaian authorities have retained the imperial planning laws and systems that separate home from work. This land-use pattern compels more travelling to the cities where businesses, jobs, services and trade are concentrated. The result is that, in places like Accra, drivers and passengers can be held up on the road for as long as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/nov/11/gridlock-west-africa-accra-troubled-attempts-tackle-traffic-crisis">three or four hours to travel a few kilometres</a>. </p>
<p>Congestion reduces productivity, causes environmental pollution and induces fatigue while driving. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15389588.2018.1556792?journalCode=gcpi20">Research</a> has shown that Ghanaian drivers, particularly working-class drivers, often resort to aggressive driving and speeding to make up for lost time in traffic. </p>
<p>What the evidence considered suggests, overall, is that road transport miseries in Ghana need to be understood in the context of the historical, global and local socio-economic developments, and factors that have entrenched the transport sector in its present form. These kinds of reflections are important because they reveal the deep and spreading roots of road transport miseries in the country.</p>
<h2>Towards reforms</h2>
<p>My study proposes interventions that could tackle the myriad of factors that have entrenched a heavy reliance on cars, dangerous driving and unduly long travelling times.</p>
<p>Such interventions could include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Making flexible work hours a condition for granting business permits or licences to break the current “rush hour syndrome” in the cities</p></li>
<li><p>Investing in big busses, rail and non-motorised transport systems (such as bicycle lanes and walkways) to reduce the number of cars on the roads</p></li>
<li><p>Addressing youth unemployment and labour exploitation (especially driver exploitation) to reduce incentives for aggressive driving to meet revenue targets</p></li>
<li><p>Mixed-town planning and land-use patterns that allow people to live, work and shop in the same area, so they travel less</p></li>
</ul>
<p>These interventions and others, at a wider societal level, would do more to improve road transport experience in the country than the current public policy of declaring <a href="https://police.gov.gh/en/index.php/news-release-police-administration-collaborates-with-citi-news-to-check-indiscipline-on-the-roads/">“wars”</a> on so-called undisciplined drivers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/160303/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Festival Godwin Boateng does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The inability to curb road accidents in Ghana is tied to colonial and neocolonial legacies.Festival Godwin Boateng, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Sustainable Urban Development, The Earth Institute, Columbia UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1405762020-06-25T16:05:50Z2020-06-25T16:05:50ZHow fatalistic beliefs influence risky driving in Ghana. And what needs to be done<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/341698/original/file-20200614-153812-1owicby.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Road accidents in Ghana should be considered a public health concern</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/transaid/192588197">Transaid/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Road traffic crashes claim an <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/22/at-least-60-die-as-two-buses-collide-in-ghana-bono-east">average</a> of five lives every day in Ghana. The country reported a road <a href="https://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/2018/en/">traffic death rate</a> of 24.9 per 100,000 people in 2016 – above the global rate of 18.2 and only slightly below the World Health Organisation (WHO) African regional <a href="https://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/2018/AFRO-Road-Safety-Key-Facts.pdf?ua=1">fatality rate</a> of 26.6 for the same period. </p>
<p>The crashes have been <a href="https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/13/6/408">estimated</a> to cost about 1.6% of Ghana’s nominal GDP annually and have hindered <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2598301/">efforts</a> to reduce poverty. This is because money meant for <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2018/01/09/road-deaths-and-injuries-hold-back-economic-growth-in-developing-countries">poverty alleviation</a> and development projects is redirected into post-crash care and management as well as repair of destroyed public property such as traffic lights, roadway lighting, and guard rails. </p>
<p>WHO data shows that there were no reductions in the number of road deaths in low-income countries, including Ghana, between 2013 and 2016. And other <a href="http://www.nrsc.gov.gh/index.php/statistics">national reports</a> suggest Ghana’s road crash problem is on the rise.</p>
<p>I carried out a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14635240.2019.1613163">study</a> to understand the role of human factors in accidents in Ghana, and to look at what could be done to reduce them. As a psychologist I was interested in the role of fatalistic beliefs – the view that one’s fate is controlled by unseen forces and that chance and luck are crucial for human survival – in risky driving among licensed commercial minibus drivers in Ghana. </p>
<p>My study found that fatalistic beliefs are widespread among drivers and that drivers who hold these beliefs have much riskier driving attitudes and behaviour than drivers with less fatalistic beliefs. </p>
<p>Overall, the study concluded that fatalistic beliefs have a considerable influence on road safety attitudes, which in turn affect driving behaviour. This information could be useful in designing more effective crash prevention strategies.</p>
<h2>Commuting in Ghana</h2>
<p>Road transport is the major <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140516302742#bib3">mode of travel</a> in Ghana, accounting for about 70% of transportation. Local air travel remains unaffordable. Inter-city train travel is non-existent. Inner-city <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4020-6010-6_11">bus travel</a> is poorly managed and thus remains unattractive to most commuters. Unofficially, there are more private vehicles than commercial vehicles. The last <a href="https://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/2015/Country_profiles_combined_GSRRS2015_2.pdf?ua=1">official count</a> was in 2012.</p>
<p>There is no official state database on the causes of road crashes, but <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213624X18303717">research</a> suggests they result mostly from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/nov/27/why-are-ghanas-roads-so-deadly-latest-fatality-sparks-fury-in-accra-adenta-madina">risky driver behaviour</a> and poor road environments. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.myjoyonline.com/photo-story/photos-of-tema-motorway-interchange-two-days-before-inauguration/">government</a> has made attempts to improve road infrastructure, but few <a href="https://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/2015/Country_profiles_combined_GSRRS2015_2.pdf?ua=1">resources</a> have been devoted to road safety education and research. </p>
<p>Ghana’s drivers are mostly young adults. Due to <a href="https://psykologtidsskriftet.no/fagartikkel/2013/05/attitudinal-and-motivational-aspects-aberrant-driving-west-african-country">high unemployment</a> and lack of other opportunities, many young Ghanaians take to occupational driving. They drive commercial passenger-ferrying minibuses locally known as ‘trotro’.</p>
<p>Several <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457518303063">studies</a> have shown that on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457517301318?via%3Dihub">average</a> it takes a Ghanaian commercial driver two and a half years from their first trip to be involved in a road crash. </p>
<h2>Traffic fatalism in Ghana</h2>
<p>Traffic fatalism describes the belief that road traffic crashes are predestined and inevitable. In other words, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1369847812000812">traffic fatalism </a> reflects a belief in the role of fate and destiny in road safety. Strongly fatalistic individuals believe that their fate is controlled by unseen forces and that chance and luck are crucial for human survival. Such individuals believe that personal willpower will do very little to change the course of events thought to be predetermined. </p>
<p>Fatalistic beliefs are known to hinder individuals from taking personal action to promote their health. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1162908817300877">Research</a> has shown that not only do individuals who hold fatalistic beliefs engage in more unsafe driving behaviour, but they also underestimate dangerous driving situations. </p>
<p>To explore traffic fatalism in Ghana, I obtained data from 519 licensed drivers aged 18 to 73 years, recruited from the Greater Accra and Eastern Regions of Ghana. Respondents reported driving experience of one to 38 years. They completed a previously validated measure, the fatalism subscale of the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-014-9272-z">Multidimensional Fatalism Measure</a>, together with other measures of risky driving attitudes and behaviour. </p>
<p>The measure is conceptualised to reflect beliefs about whether or not road crashes can be prevented or changed through personal action. Sample items on the fatalism measure include “There is no sense in driving too carefully; if you will not get accidents, you will not”, “If something bad is going to happen to me as a driver, it will happen no matter what I do”, “If road accidents happen, it is because they were meant to happen”, and “Life is very unpredictable, and there is little one can do to prevent road accidents”. </p>
<p>Respondents indicated their agreement or disagreement with the statements. Higher scores indicated greater fatalistic beliefs about road crashes. Respondent scores were then used to predict risky driving behaviour. </p>
<p>I found that in Ghana, road traffic fatalism seems more widespread than previously thought. For example, in a recent road crash involving a popular musician, <a href="https://www.modernghana.com/news/834244/could-the-prophetic-revelation-of-ebony-reigns-death-streng.html">Ebony Reigns</a>, fatalistic beliefs dominated the discussions surrounding the tragic event to the exclusion of risky driver behaviour. </p>
<p>In a previous <a href="https://psykologtidsskriftet.no/fagartikkel/2013/05/attitudinal-and-motivational-aspects-aberrant-driving-west-african-country">qualitative study</a>, I found that some Ghanaian drivers believe that vehicles thought to have been purchased from proceeds of witchcraft or killing are destined to be involved in a road crash as a ‘pay back’ for wrongdoing on the part of the owners. Consequently, aside from vehicle maintenance, some vehicle owners are thought to be remotely responsible for road crashes involving their drivers. </p>
<h2>Way forward</h2>
<p>Fatalistic beliefs occur within a cultural context. Thus, the study’s findings are useful for road safety education in Ghana. Ghana’s National Road Safety Commission could design road safety campaigns among drivers to target the belief that road crashes are controlled, in part, by fate and destiny. This would help to deconstruct the notion that personal actions by drivers could do little to prevent road crashes. </p>
<p>This campaign may take the form of persuasive messages via traditional media and social media aimed at drivers. This would target dominant cultural and religious beliefs, norms, and value systems from which fatalistic beliefs are thought to arise. Authorities might also consider religious congregations as venues for road safety education.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/140576/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Enoch Teye-Kwadjo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Some people think road crashes are destined to happen and drivers can do little to prevent them.Enoch Teye-Kwadjo, Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology, University of GhanaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1375942020-05-01T05:00:30Z2020-05-01T05:00:30ZRoad crashes, assaults and being spat on: the dangers facing Australian police in the line of duty<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/331883/original/file-20200430-42903-1muh8y6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The Victorian Police Academy is lit up in blue in honour of the four officers killed in last week's road tragedy.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AAP/Michael Dodge</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The horrific deaths of four Victorian police officers during seemingly routine traffic duties have brought the dangers of policing into sharp relief.</p>
<p>There are many threats to officers while they carry out their duties, some more extreme than others. In a declaration about the seriousness and risk of spitting, and just how common it is, states and territories have introduced <a href="https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Pages/public-health-orders.aspx">additional laws</a> (aside from common assault) to deal with people deliberately spitting, sneezing and coughing on police and other essential services personnel. </p>
<p>So, exactly how are our officers sustaining injuries and other medical conditions, and how often are officers dying in the line of duty?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-why-police-will-be-crucial-players-in-the-battle-against-coronavirus-134392">Explainer: why police will be crucial players in the battle against coronavirus</a>
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<p>The <a href="https://npm.org.au/">National Police Memorial honour roll</a> commemorates Australian police officers who have been killed or died while on duty in recognition of their contribution to the Australian community. An examination of these fatalities from the past two decades provides some revealing insights.</p>
<p>There were 51 officer fatalities in Australia between 2000 and 2019, an average of two to three a year. Until the recent deaths in Victoria, there has not been so many deaths in Australia in a single year since the deaths of five officers in 2005. However, those fatalities were all separate incidents. Sadly, in 2001, four officers died in the <a href="https://npm.org.au/honour-roll/">same plane crash</a>.</p>
<p>Officer fatalities have three main causes: accidents, assaults and health-related incidents. Similar to the recent Victorian fatalities, Australian police officers mostly died due to accidents (65% of all police fatalities), with road accidents being the leading cause.</p>
<p>These deaths tend to occur during seemingly low-risk activities such as general duties patrols. Most of these accidents involve motor vehicles (55%), while 21% involve motorcycles. However, as previously mentioned, there have been plane crashes (21%) and there was one accidental shooting.</p>
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<p>It is notable that the number of overall officer fatalities decreased substantially after 2007. Before 2008, there was an average of 4.5 police deaths per year. But from 2008 onwards, the average fell to 1.25 deaths per year. This decrease is mostly due to the decrease in accidents, which dropped from an average of 3.25 per year to just 0.58 per year.</p>
<p>So what changed? This decrease might be explained by technological advances and changes to practices. For example, the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2012C00138">Australian Design Rules</a> changed motor vehicle safety standards to increase the safety of airbags in 2006.</p>
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<p>Also, police forces adopted more helicopters into their fleets. The use of helicopters for police pursuits may reduce the necessity for officers to engage in high-risk vehicle pursuits, and therefore decrease the number of accidents. </p>
<p>Finally, an <a href="http://www.coroners.justice.nsw.gov.au/Pages/findings.aspx">inquest</a> into the death of Senior Constable Peter Wilson led to changes to roadside policing practices, which may also have contributed to the decrease in fatalities.</p>
<p>However, officers face not only accidents, but also assaults and homicides – not typically faced in most other occupations. In the past two decades, there were 14 assaults on police. While these were almost always shootings (11 of the 14 cases), in one incident the driver of a stolen vehicle purposefully swerved to hit an officer.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the stressful and physical nature of policing can lead to health-related fatalities. While mental health fatalities, such as suicide, are not included in the data, physical health-related incidents are included. Over the past 20 years, four officers have died due to health-related matters while on duty. Three of these cases involved a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack during training. In the fourth case an officer died from a respiratory illness.</p>
<p>This last fatality highlights current concerns during these coronavirus times. While the cause of this officer’s death is unknown, there are strong concerns for the safety of our officers who we rely upon in times of crisis and to protect our community.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/if-australian-police-officers-are-allowed-to-shoot-to-kill-they-should-be-better-trained-126820">If Australian police officers are allowed to shoot to kill, they should be better trained</a>
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<p>Indeed, a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10439463.2016.1251430">recent study</a> of significant events in Queensland found almost half (44%) of the officers involved in these events reported sustaining an injury. These mostly involved officers being spat on or bitten (36% of injuries reported). This is concerning because of the risk of viral infections (all these officers required testing for infection) and work-related anxiety. </p>
<p>The study argues these types of attacks are indicative of opportunistic assaults; that is, the offender takes advantage of the situation and attacks an officer. Furthermore, being spat on is often viewed as insulting and disgusting, which may cause negative reactions from police and society.</p>
<p>These figures only include the physical dangers of policing and do not include the mental toll on our officers. Tragic recent events have highlighted the high-risk nature of policing and the need to better understand the dangers involved in order to protect our officers from harm so they can protect us during times of crisis.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/137594/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kelly Hine does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The recent tragic deaths of four Victorian police officers have highlighted the dangers to those whose job it is to protect the community.Kelly Hine, Lecturer in Criminology, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1286532020-01-15T14:09:11Z2020-01-15T14:09:11ZWhy South Africa’s children are vulnerable to violence and injuries<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/306563/original/file-20191212-85367-1xzbmsa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">South Africa's deep structural poverty is part of the explanation for injuries to children</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>South African children are vulnerable to injuries, not just those that are accidental but also those inflicted intentionally. This is according to the <a href="http://www.ci.uct.ac.za/sites/default/files/image_tool/images/367/Child_Gauge/South_African_Child_Gauge_2019/ChildGauge_2019_final_print%20%28sm%29.pdf">2019 Child Gauge</a> report, an annual publication that explores how children in South Africa are faring.</p>
<p>The report notes that injuries to children span from burns to drowning and from road traffic injuries to fatal child abuse. More than 8,000 children die every year as a result of injuries. About 5,000 of these are accidental or unintentional. The leading causes of child injury deaths in South Africa are road traffic injuries (36%), homicide (28%), unintentional injuries such as burns and drowning (27%) and suicide (8.5%), which is considered intentional. </p>
<p>In a society like South Africa which has deep structural poverty, the causes of injuries to children are often linked to the circumstances in which people live. For example, poor infrastructure and harsh living conditions expose children to high levels of neglect, harm and injury in the home and community.</p>
<p>Even though most injuries may not be inflicted intentionally, they shouldn’t be considered as accidents. This is because most injuries occur in the context of inadequate care. Most can be prevented by ensuring children’s safety in their homes, schools, recreational spaces, community settings and the transport connections between them. </p>
<h2>Patterns of child injuries</h2>
<p>Child safety interventions should take into account the child’s evolving capacities and stage of development. The risks change as children become more independent and move out of home into schools and the wider community. </p>
<p>Young children are particularly vulnerable to falls, drowning and hot water burns because of their natural curiosity and increasing mobility. School-aged children are at risk of road traffic injuries, especially because 67% of them walk to school. Adolescents tend to overestimate their ability to negotiate often complex and hazardous traffic environments and are primed to engage in risk-taking behaviour. </p>
<p>Efforts to prevent childhood injuries often start by making children and families aware of the dangers. Families should keep poisons, matches, electrical appliances, water containers and hot water away from young children. Children must wear safety belts in vehicles and be supervised closely near open water and other dangers. </p>
<p>Yet individual behaviour change can only go so far. </p>
<p>Many of the drivers of violence and injury are structural in nature. For example, it’s harder to keep children safe when living in a two-room shack and using candles and a paraffin stove. Walking to school in an informal settlement or a busy urban space where there are no pavements is also riskier. It’s more difficult to protect children from violence in communities where poverty, unemployment and substance abuse fuel conflict both within and outside the family. </p>
<p>In fact, violence and injury share many common risk factors. They include poverty, poor infrastructure, harsh living conditions, gender inequality, violent forms of masculinity, and widespread abuse of alcohol and drugs. All these expose children to both violent and unintentional injury. </p>
<p>Yet, evidence from South Africa and elsewhere shows that such epidemics can be prevented. South Africa has many organisations dedicated to preventing injury and promoting resilient children, families and communities. This work needs to be recognised, along with the countless efforts by families to protect their children. </p>
<p>Many of the local evidence-based programmes are showcased in the Child Gauge. For example, several communities have introduced “walking buses” where families and community members accompany children to and from school, helping to protect them from violence and traffic dangers. There are also violence prevention and urban upgrade initiatives to create safe public spaces and neighbourhood resource centres where children can play. </p>
<p>The question is how to take these to scale.</p>
<h2>What needs to be done</h2>
<p>To turn the tide of violence and unintentional injury alike, the country needs greater leadership and collaboration across sectors to address the overlapping risk factors. </p>
<p>Countries that have seen the greatest gains in violence and injury prevention have invested in leadership to push for interventions that are known to work. The World Health Organisation has reported that countries such as Australia, Canada and France have reduced their injury death rates, some by as much as half and within a 10 to 20 year period. Many others, such as South Africa, have also begun investing in research, programmes and capacities for safety interventions. </p>
<p>Violence and injury rates were reduced in these countries because of concerted efforts that were often led by government and community coalitions as part of a national strategy or programme focused on injury and violence prevention. Therefore a massive coordinated shift is necessary to deliver such interventions and services to communities at scale. </p>
<p>It’s time for government to identify child safety as a strategic priority, build partnerships with nongovernmental organisations and develop an intersectoral plan to promote the safety of South Africa’s children. </p>
<p><em>This article is based on a chapter in the Child Gauge report “Violence, injury and child safety: The new challenge for child health”.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/128653/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shanaaz Mathews receives funding from the ELMA Foundation, Ford Foundation, Constitutionalism Fund and the South African Medical Research Council . </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ashley Van Niekerk receives funding from the South African Medical Research Council. </span></em></p>The causes of injuries to children are often linked to the circumstances in which people live.Shanaaz Mathews, Professor, University of Cape TownAshley Van Niekerk, Deputy Unit Director and Senior Specialist Scientist and Professor Extraordinarius: UNISA Institute for Social and Health Sciences, South African Medical Research CouncilLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1225002019-08-29T09:42:16Z2019-08-29T09:42:16ZWhat’s the most dangerous day of the year? Watch out on these ones<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/290084/original/file-20190829-106524-ijdehw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/5oyFrBF33Q4">Edu Lauton/Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Society has become increasingly preoccupied <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/risk-society">with risk</a>. So it’s unsurprising that as social scientists, we are constantly being asked to predict where harm is most likely to strike. In terms of crime and disorder – our speciality – we know a small number of places and people suffer the majority of victimisation. Using this knowledge, we know that anti-social behaviour peaks around Halloween and that violence is more common in the summer, especially on unusually warm days.</p>
<p>But when asked to identify the most dangerous day of the year, we realised this research hadn’t been done. Perhaps the reason for this is the wide variety of risk that creates unnatural or accidental death – from workplace incidents, to road accidents and crime. But this is an important question, as avoiding such risk can benefit our sense of well-being and also the economy. </p>
<p>Governments and academics have previously estimated the cost surrounding death and injury, using such criteria as health costs (including relatives who suffer loss), lost output (such as wages) and service charges (such as ambulance; police costs; damage to property; and insurance administration). These calculations show homicide is the most costly incident resulting in death, estimated at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-economic-and-social-costs-of-crime">£3.2m</a> per case, while the average cost per suicide is <a href="http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/32311/1/Knapp_et_al__MHPP_The_Economic_Case.pdf">£1.7m</a>.</p>
<p>And although overall road accidents have been decreasing, pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists have become more <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cycle-safety-laws-new-kim-briggs-death-warning-against-witch-hunt-a7960291.html">vulnerable</a>. They generate an average cost of <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/744077/reported-road-casualties-annual-report-2017.pdf?_ga=2.239767939.1051173890.1566917004-193926697.1566917004">£2,130,922</a> per fatal accident.</p>
<p>Across industry, construction and agriculture include the most perilous occupations, with premature deaths associated with falls from height; being struck by moving objects (including machinery and vehicles); and being trapped by something collapsing or overturning. Such incidents cost an estimated <a href="http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/pdf/cost-to-britain.pdf">£1.6m</a> per fatal injury.</p>
<h2>Dangerous days</h2>
<p>To better understand non-natural deaths, we analysed 93,955 death registrations recorded by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) across England and Wales between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2015. We looked at each underlying cause of death to determine who had died due to “external causes of morbidity and mortality”. </p>
<p>Of these, 63% were men and 37% women, with an average age of 61 years. The two most common categories included falls and other accidental injury (57%), as well as intentional self-harm (26%). The remaining significant categories included: transport accidents (8%); complications surrounding care (5%), and assault (4%). </p>
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<span class="caption">Researchers looked at each underlying cause of death to determine who had died due to</span>
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<p>While unnatural deaths were consistently spread across the year, they did peak in December, when 8,416 died, and January (8,467). Transport accidents and assaults appeared to be more common on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, while deaths from intentional self-harm more commonly occurred on a Monday.</p>
<p>There were some further trends, specifically around gender and age. The average age for men to die from external causes was 55, while the average age for women was 70 years. This means men were more likely to die from unnatural causes prior to pensionable age, and women afterwards. </p>
<p>Those aged less than 65 years were also significantly more likely to die from transport accidents, intentional self-harm and assault, than those over 65 years. The analysis also found that men were significantly more likely to die from such incidents than women.</p>
<h2>When to watch out</h2>
<p>So how can this analysis reduce our risk of unnatural death? Is there a day we should stay at home and avoid a particular activity? </p>
<p>Unfortunately, the 1,826 days across our five-year sample failed to highlight a “most dangerous day”. The most fatalities for each year occurred on Saturday January 1, 2011 (77 deaths); Sunday January 1, 2012 (87); Sunday January 27, 2013 (84); Monday June 9, 2014 (81); and Tuesday March 3, 2015 (90). </p>
<p>But we did find that dangerous days were 2.2 times more likely to occur in winter than spring, and 1.3 times more likely to occur on the weekend in comparison to a weekday. Also, we found men are significantly more likely to die before the age of 65 from incidents such as traffic accidents, self-harm and assaults, when compared with women.</p>
<p>So you may be pleased to know that New Year’s day falls on a Wednesday this year. But if you are a man under 65 years of age, be particularly careful when crossing the road.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/122500/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The data in this article was sourced from the Office of National Statistics, Death Registrations in England and Wales, 1993-2016: Secure Access (2017), <a href="http://doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-SN-8200-2">http://doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-SN-8200-2</a>.</span></em></p>When asked to identify the most dangerous day of the year, we realised this research hadn’t been done.Nathan Birdsall, Research Associate in Policing, University of Central LancashireStuart Kirby, Professor of Policing and Criminal Investigation, University of Central LancashireLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1189992019-07-21T20:01:25Z2019-07-21T20:01:25ZAll-night public transport hasn’t reduced alcohol-related harm in Melbourne<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284677/original/file-20190718-116569-1q1mizh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The clearest change following the introduction of 24-hour public transport was that people were observed to be getting more intoxicated.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/group-young-men-toasting-nightclub-777379603?src=K37ud_oBMvMSuNWsYP0Sbg-1-29&studio=1">bbernard/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Victorian government introduced <a href="https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/more/travelling-on-the-network/night-network">24-hour public transport on Friday and Saturday nights</a> in Melbourne from January 1 2016. Services mostly run every hour from 1am to 5am on all metropolitan lines with some additional tram and bus services. The initiative, originally labelled “<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/24-hour-public-transport-to-get-you-homesafe/&sa=D&ust=1563348635932000&usg=AFQjCNGoY3wP6Ei1WMh4b9p9yhgUpStpcg">Homesafe</a>”, was proposed as a convenient and safe way to travel in and out of the city throughout the night. But our research shows it did not reduce alcohol-related violence and road accidents. </p>
<p>The budgeted cost of the program is <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/allnight-public-transport-to-keep-running-in-melbourne-20170422-gvq5wn.html">almost A$300 million</a> through to 2020. This includes the cost of <a href="https://www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/find-legal-answers/public-transport-offences/protective-services-officers">protective services officers</a> whose sole role is to patrol train stations and associated areas, ensuring the safety of night-time public transport users.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/we-need-more-than-just-laws-to-ensure-responsible-alcohol-service-80890">We need more than just laws to ensure responsible alcohol service</a>
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<h2>What did the research show?</h2>
<p>Our research evaluated the introduction of 24-hour public transport from two different perspectives. </p>
<p>For our <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30476877">first study</a>, we conducted covert observations of four nightclub venues in Melbourne in the year before and after 24-hour public transport was introduced. Patrons’ observed levels of intoxication inside venues increased after 24-hour public transport was introduced (see figures 1a-d).</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284646/original/file-20190718-147279-1vl5o9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284646/original/file-20190718-147279-1vl5o9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284646/original/file-20190718-147279-1vl5o9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284646/original/file-20190718-147279-1vl5o9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284646/original/file-20190718-147279-1vl5o9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=439&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284646/original/file-20190718-147279-1vl5o9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=552&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284646/original/file-20190718-147279-1vl5o9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=552&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284646/original/file-20190718-147279-1vl5o9r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=552&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Figure 1. Proportions of patrons: a) in venue by time of observation; b) showing intoxication signs; c) too intoxicated; d) showing signs of drug use.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.jsad.com/doi/10.15288/jsad.2019.80.314">second study</a> used data on police assaults, alcohol- and drug-related ambulance attendances, road crashes from the areas serviced by public transport, Myki public transport card touch-ons, and pedestrian counts to determine the impact of 24-hour public transport on alcohol-related harms in the city. </p>
<p>Figure 2 shows an immediate increase in police-recorded assaults, until increased police resources were allocated. A temporary reduction followed, although more recent data from the Victorian Crime Statistics Agency (see table 1) show serious assaults have remained stable with a peak in 2018.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284647/original/file-20190718-147312-zbgl4c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284647/original/file-20190718-147312-zbgl4c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284647/original/file-20190718-147312-zbgl4c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=409&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284647/original/file-20190718-147312-zbgl4c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=409&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284647/original/file-20190718-147312-zbgl4c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=409&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284647/original/file-20190718-147312-zbgl4c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=514&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284647/original/file-20190718-147312-zbgl4c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=514&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284647/original/file-20190718-147312-zbgl4c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=514&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Figure 2. Number of police-recorded assaults resulting in arrest or summons in postcode 3000 during high-alcohol hours, 2015 and 2016.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284679/original/file-20190718-116596-1tjsvx5.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284679/original/file-20190718-116596-1tjsvx5.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284679/original/file-20190718-116596-1tjsvx5.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=97&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284679/original/file-20190718-116596-1tjsvx5.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=97&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284679/original/file-20190718-116596-1tjsvx5.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=97&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284679/original/file-20190718-116596-1tjsvx5.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=122&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284679/original/file-20190718-116596-1tjsvx5.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=122&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284679/original/file-20190718-116596-1tjsvx5.PNG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=122&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Table 1. Serious assaults recorded on a street/lane/footpath or licensed premises in postcodes 3000 and 3006 during high-alcohol hours, April 2015 to March 2019.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.crimestatistics.vic.gov.au/">Data: Victorian Crime Statistics Agency</a>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Road crashes in the areas serviced by public transport remained relatively stable from 2015 to 2016, as figure 3 shows.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284649/original/file-20190718-147275-1ckvmi7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284649/original/file-20190718-147275-1ckvmi7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284649/original/file-20190718-147275-1ckvmi7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284649/original/file-20190718-147275-1ckvmi7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284649/original/file-20190718-147275-1ckvmi7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284649/original/file-20190718-147275-1ckvmi7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=454&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284649/original/file-20190718-147275-1ckvmi7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=454&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284649/original/file-20190718-147275-1ckvmi7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=454&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Figure 3. Average number of road crashes during high-alcohol hours, 2015 and 2016.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There was little change in the number of people attending the central business district. Figure 4 shows pedestrian counts around Flinders Street Station throughout the night before and after 24-hour services began.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284674/original/file-20190718-116579-16d441l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284674/original/file-20190718-116579-16d441l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/284674/original/file-20190718-116579-16d441l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284674/original/file-20190718-116579-16d441l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284674/original/file-20190718-116579-16d441l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284674/original/file-20190718-116579-16d441l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284674/original/file-20190718-116579-16d441l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/284674/original/file-20190718-116579-16d441l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Figure 4. Count of pedestrians by Flinders Street Station foot traffic counter during high-alcohol hours, 2015 and 2016, by day and hour.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While correlation doesn’t necessarily equal causation, the measures clearly failed to achieve any substantial reduction of alcohol-related harms.</p>
<p>If the aim of the policy was to boost “Melbourne’s 24-hour lifestyle”, then it may be considered successful. More people were in the city later in the evening, using public transport and attending bars and clubs, resulting in higher levels of intoxication in these venues. This is clearly a massive win for the alcohol industry and others that profit from very late-night drinkers on the streets.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/factcheck-can-you-change-a-violent-drinking-culture-by-changing-how-people-drink-38426">FactCheck: can you change a violent drinking culture by changing how people drink?</a>
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<hr>
<p>These findings, which assess the effects of more than A$300 million in state expenditure, are also important when considering current reviews of liquor laws in Sydney and Queensland, where the alcohol industry and aligned interest groups are proposing 24-hour public transport.</p>
<h2>What else could be done?</h2>
<p>Other jurisdictions around the world have chosen a range of approaches to reduce alcohol-related harm. By far the most evidence-based policy option is to close venues earlier in the night. </p>
<p>Ending the serving of alcohol at 3am has been <a href="https://theconversation.com/early-pub-closing-times-work-for-kings-cross-they-will-for-queensland-too-39643">the most common variant of this policy in Australia</a>. Australian examples of this approach have been associated with substantial reductions in assaults – <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03125.x">37% in Newcastle</a> and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.12951">39% in Sydney’s Kings Cross</a>.</p>
<p>In 2016, Queensland implemented similar restrictions as well as mandatory ID scanning. This means banned patrons are reliably detected before entering venues. Findings from a <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-017-4811-9">two-year evaluation</a> are soon to be released.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/banning-orders-wont-solve-alcohol-fuelled-violence-but-they-can-be-part-of-the-solution-72091">Banning orders won't solve alcohol-fuelled violence – but they can be part of the solution</a>
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<p>Another possibility is an adaptation of the violent venues scheme in New South Wales, which has seen <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/add.12951">sustained reductions across the state since 2008</a>.</p>
<p>Our findings suggest the money spent on 24-hour public transport is associated with increases in intoxication and violence. </p>
<p>Another consideration is that reducing taxi queues is no longer the issue it once was. The rise of Uber has provided much more flexibility in nightlife transport. </p>
<p>Governments should trial different policy options to determine what works for their jurisdiction. These trials should be <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-017-4811-9">rigorously and independently evaluated</a>. Effective measures can then be identified, unintended consequences addressed and ineffective or overly costly measures replaced.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/118999/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Miller receives funding from Australian Research Council and Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, grants from NSW Government, National Drug Law Enforcement Research Fund, Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education, Cancer Council Victoria, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, Northern Territory government, Australian Rechabites Foundation, Northern Territory Primary Health Network, Lives Lived Well, Queensland government and Australian Drug Foundation, travel and related costs from Queensland Police Service, Queensland Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing and the Australasian Drug Strategy Conference. He has acted as a paid expert witness on behalf of a licensed venue and a security firm. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ashlee Curtis does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A program aimed at getting people home safely has cost A$300 million but has had little impact, aside from increased intoxication in CBD venues. Rates of assaults and road crashes are much the same.Ashlee Curtis, Research Fellow, School of Psychology, Deakin UniversityPeter Miller, Professor of Violence Prevention and Addiction Studies, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1065462018-11-18T08:52:40Z2018-11-18T08:52:40ZRoad deaths: why matters have only got worse over the past 100 years<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244290/original/file-20181107-74757-1i2kgl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Road crashes and deaths are a grim daily reality all over the world.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Bachtub Dmitrii/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the early days of motoring in the US, transport historian <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/fighting-traffic">Peter Norton</a> tells us, people were angry. In the four years following the end of the First World War, more Americans were killed on roads than had died on the battlefields in France. Monuments were erected to crash victims in Baltimore and Pittsburgh. Detroit tolled bells of mourning and remembrance. In New York a safety march on thousands included bereaved mothers who dedicated a monument there. </p>
<p>Such widespread public anger is unlikely 100 years on even though the world’s roads are still deadly. Globally, <a href="http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/publications/road_traffic/Media_brief_all_factsheets_web_rev_nov_2017.pdf?ua=1">more lives are lost to road deaths</a> than to malaria or HIV/AIDS. Each year, <a href="http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/publications/road_traffic/Media_brief_all_factsheets_web_rev_nov_2017.pdf?ua=1">more than 1.2 million</a> people die in road crashes. In reality, the figure could be larger: road crash data is known to be regularly under-reported. </p>
<p>It’s not just about lives lost. People who don’t die in crashes may still be badly injured or permanently maimed. Globally, <a href="http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries">road traffic crashes cost most countries 3% of their gross domestic product</a>. The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on Sunday 18 November is a reminder of the human tragedies behind the data.</p>
<p>The risk of a road traffic death <a href="http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/2015/Section_1_GSRRS2015.pdf?ua=1">are highest in the African region</a>, at 26.6 deaths per 100 000 people. The lowest risk is found <a href="http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/2015/Section_1_GSRRS2015.pdf?ua=1">in Europe</a>, with 9.3 deaths per 100 000.</p>
<p>Why is road death and injury still so prolific? Enough research has been done, verified and compiled to show which policies, regulations and technologies can radically reduce road deaths and injuries. The World Health Organisation has produced <a href="http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/publications/road_traffic/en/">multiple guidelines </a> that set out how nations can make their roads safer. </p>
<p>Some identify <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3483956/pdf/AJPH.2011.300563.pdf">a lack of “political will</a>as a key factor in road safety failures. But generalising about "political will”, while understandable, also reinforces an unhelpful categorisation. It contains an assumption that politics is separate from technical road safety and road engineering work. That somehow professionals, governments, businesses and civil society working on road safety operate in a depoliticised, “technical” realm.</p>
<p>Transport scholars have shown, in various cases studies and analyses, how the political and technical work hand in hand. Biases favouring one group are inherent in transport planning and engineering. Early funding allocations in the US were skewed towards highways prompted <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/009614429902500305">in part</a> by the less than robust use of statistics. And seemingly independent road professional bodies have <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/fighting-traffic">been influenced</a> by corporate interests. </p>
<p>In short, road engineering, planning and use is not divorced from broader politics. </p>
<h2>Lobbies and interests</h2>
<p>Historical work like Norton’s about the dawn of motoring in the US reveals some of the contours of power at play. It shows who or what was able to influence roads policy and engineering norms at the beginning of motoring. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1191/030913201682688922">Trevor Barnes</a> points out that such norms put in place at the beginning of a discipline’s development have a particularly strong influence and are difficult to displace. </p>
<p>In the case of public road development, businesses lobbied to protect and promote their interests. In particular, Norton exposes the role that oil and motor industries played in propagating a very particular style of managing and engineering roads. Regarding road safety, the powerful “motordom” lobby worked to quieten concerns about the relationship between vehicle speeds and road injuries. </p>
<p>The link between vehicle speeds and road death and injury is now widely accepted and <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev.publhealth.27.021405.102225#_i4">corroborated by research</a>) but speed remains a poorly understood public health risk, <a href="https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/7/3/176">despite strong warnings</a>. </p>
<p>Now, 100 years on from the first days of motoring, can we still attribute the generally parlous state of road safety in many countries to such “motordom” interests wedded to high vehicle speeds and increasing motorisation in business interests? To some extent, we can. </p>
<h2>The politics of roads</h2>
<p>Present day engineering practices can be traced back to road engineering norms established in the early part of the last century. The attribution of responsibility to the “reckless” pedestrian rather than to the motorist who is driving the vehicle that’s capable of causing harm can also be traced back to these earliest days of motoring. </p>
<p>Historical and sociological research work on planning and engineering thus queries the idea of roads and traffic as objective, de-politicised realms of practice. Yet, the work of road safety continues for the most part to be divorced from thinking about the broader political interests that are at play in the business of roads and traffic. </p>
<p>Political analyses of road safety are <a href="https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/resource-documents/11401.pdf">in their infancy</a>. Much work is still required to understand the politics of roads and road-making. But deeper interrogations of the forces holding the status quo in place are also needed. </p>
<p>Development scholar and author Wolfgang Sachs, as an example, <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520068780/for-love-of-the-automobile">writes eloquently</a> of the car as an object of desire; the love for speed is central to its popularity. The car, he argues, promises humans a means to overcome their existential angst at slowness of life. </p>
<p>Peter Sloterdijk, a philosopher and cultural theorist, <a href="https://www.berghahnjournals.com/view/journals/transfers/1/1/trans010102.xml?">points to</a> our collective “sacrifice” of 3600 children killed in road crashes each year in the name of modernity. He suggests that people’s yearning for relief from the discomforts of being human goes some way to explaining the thirst for automobility. </p>
<p>To accelerate change we need more broad conceptions like these. They offer tantalising possibilities for improved thinking – and acting – for road safety.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/106546/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>During June-August 2018 Lisa Kane worked with Open Streets Cape Town and Childsafe on a project which brought attention to the issue of child pedestrian road safety in South Africa. </span></em></p>Road traffic injuries are one of the leading causes of death worldwide.Lisa Kane, Honorary Research Associate, University of Cape TownLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/997522018-08-07T21:57:05Z2018-08-07T21:57:05ZAfter the Humboldt crash: Truck driver health and training must be a priority<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230458/original/file-20180802-136649-1dvk4g6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The wreckage of the fatal Humboldt Broncos bus crash outside of Tisdale, Sask., is seen on April, 7, 2018. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The horrific crash involving <a href="https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan-truck-crashes-into-bus-carrying-junior-hockey-team/">a transport truck and the bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team</a> on April 6, 2018, has focused a lot of attention on a risky profession. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/humboldt-bus-crash-driver-charges-reaction-1.4738243">Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, the truck driver involved in the crash, has now been charged</a> with <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/rcmp-say-charges-laid-involving-fatal-humboldt-broncos-bus-crash/">16 counts of dangerous driving causing death and 13 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm</a>.</p>
<p>Truck drivers are involved in about <a href="https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/tp-tp15145-1201.htm#s310">one-fifth of accidents in Canada each year</a>. And the risks of the profession — to drivers themselves and to the public — go far beyond collisions.</p>
<p>As a road safety researcher, I have been funded by Transport Canada, the Canadian Institute of Health Research and the Alberta Ministry of Labour to investigate the health and wellness of truck drivers. My research shows that truck drivers are exposed to many risks affecting their health and their ability to drive safely, due to the nature of the job and the job market.</p>
<h2>Heavy loads, poor diet, fatigue and stress</h2>
<p>Truck drivers often work between 14 and 16 hours per day and have to load and unload their own trailers, often resulting in back injuries.</p>
<p>Proper diet is a problem because finding truck stops with adequate parking is difficult, and finding access to healthy foods is even harder. </p>
<p>There is not enough time in a driver’s day to find grocery stores with healthy food because if they do they may be delayed and miss their delivery, which may result in loss of money or loss of their job.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230460/original/file-20180802-136679-1vkimch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230460/original/file-20180802-136679-1vkimch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230460/original/file-20180802-136679-1vkimch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230460/original/file-20180802-136679-1vkimch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230460/original/file-20180802-136679-1vkimch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230460/original/file-20180802-136679-1vkimch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230460/original/file-20180802-136679-1vkimch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Truck driver Jaskirat Sidhu walks out of provincial court after appearing for charges due to the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, on July 10, 2018.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kayle Neis)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Many drivers are exposed to health risk factors including long sedentary periods, lack of exercise, poor diet, fatigue and stress — which can in turn lead to various medical conditions such as hypertension, obesity, stroke, sleep apnea and diabetes.</p>
<p>In fact, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22293">almost half of all truck drivers have a combination of these risk factors and medical conditions</a>. Many of these medical conditions <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2016.08.024">such as sleep apnea are directly linked to crashes</a>.</p>
<p>As a result, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2013.12.012">truck drivers are a leading group for submitting worker compensation claims</a> in Canada and the United States and their injuries cost the health-care system millions of dollars in physician visits, treatments and medication use.</p>
<h2>Novice drivers, with inadequate training</h2>
<p>Truck driving is the <a href="https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/as-sa/99-012-x/99-012-x2011002-eng.cfm#a4">second most common occupation for men in Canada</a>. However, many skilled truck drivers who have been working for many years are now faced with health challenges, either from being injured or from developing medical conditions.</p>
<p>With many skilled employees not able to work, truck companies are faced with issues such as absenteeism and loss of worker productivity. This is making it necessary for companies to hire more drivers.</p>
<p>One solution is to recruit younger drivers who are healthy. While there are many advertisements for truck drivers, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/2703264/its-more-a-passion-than-a-job-canadian-trucking-industry-struggles-to-attract-drivers/">young adults are not applying for these jobs in sufficient numbers</a>, perhaps because they are aware of the health and safety challenges. </p>
<p>Because of the shortage of drivers, some companies are relaxing their employment criteria and hiring novice drivers, but often without adequately training them. </p>
<p>The courts will have to determine if this might have been a factor in the Humboldt tragedy, where the driver charged in the collision was young and inexperienced. <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/07/06/humboldt-broncos-bus-crash-arrest-charges-laid-saskatchewan-rcmp_a_23476445/">The company was also newly established</a> and trying to get off the ground, and needed workers to begin driving routes as soon as possible.</p>
<h2>A health and training overhaul</h2>
<p>Until the health issues and the job training of truck drivers improve, the challenges of the trucking sector will not disappear.</p>
<p>The sector needs health and wellness programs, together with changes to the environment for drivers — such as more truck parking and better access to healthy foods. </p>
<p>The sector urgently needs new company policies that incorporate more flexible work hours and more intensive training.</p>
<p>This would result in companies retaining and recruiting drivers who can better contribute to the safety of our roads. </p>
<p>Currently, Ontario is the <a href="https://www.ontario.ca/page/new-mandatory-training-class-drivers-licence-applicants">only Canadian province with regulations requiring adequate driver training</a>, while <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/semi-drivers-training-1.4637434">Saskatchewan hopes to have a plan in place by early 2019</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/99752/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alexander Crizzle receives funding from Transport Canada, the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) and the Alberta Ministry of Labour.</span></em></p>Truck drivers in Canada are exposed to many health risks. The horrific Humboldt bus crash should be a wake-up call for new regulations and wellness programs within the industry.Alexander Crizzle, Assistant Professor, University of SaskatchewanLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.