Benchmarking methodology for road safety policies analysis in brazilian cities based on the safe system approach

Abstract

The road traffic injuries are considered an actual and urgent issue of global public health. This complex epidemiological phenomenon requires a multisectoral and vertically coordination approach across multiple levels of governments. The current road safety paradigm, called Safe System, recognizes that road safety policies (RSP) should be properly defined in order to consider the fallibility and vulnerability of the human body. In this approach, the road safety outcomes consider the interaction between the dimensions of the complex and dynamic system that influences the way people travel and behave on the roads. The most relevant Safe System dimensions, defined by WHO, are: (i) Road Safety Management; (ii) Safer Driving Environment; (iii) Safer Vehicles; (iv) Safer Road Users and (v) Post-crash Response. In a scenario of economic recession, mainly for low- and middle-income regions, understanding the impact of these dimensions should be useful for designing more efficient RSP. In addition, comparative analysis between regions, based on the benchmarking approach, could generate opportunities for the regions to rethink their RSP based on best practices from other similar regions. In this sense, this thesis proposes a road safety policies benchmarking methodology for Brazilian cities, considering a framework able to quantify the structural relationships of the main Safe System dimensions and the road traffic fatality (RTF) rate. In an effort to apply the proposed method, this framework was evaluated for a global level. After, a Brazilian road safety indicators database was consolidated based on a structured questionnaire. A multivariate modeling was performed to evaluate the complex relationships between the Safe System dimensions and its respective road safety indicators. The modeling outcomes are used to build a RSP performance index applied in the benchmarking analysis. The indices analysis allowed a quantitative evaluation of the Safe System dimension relevance. RSP aims to promote Safer Driving Environment and Safer Road Users have the highest and direct effect in reducing RTF. Road Safety Management and Post-crash Response policies present an indirect effect. Finally, these RSP performance indexes are used to compare cities within clusters, considering its socioeconomic indicators. The results of the comparative benchmarking analysis could bring valuable contribution to support the definition of strategic planning scenarios, identifying opportunities to objectively improve the Brazilian cities' road safety policies efforts.