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N°16
December
1999


La Lettre de l'ISTEDLa Lettre de l'Institut des Sciences et des Techniques de l'Equipement et de l'Environnement pour le Développement.

Editorial

Road safety and development  
 

For several years now, Isted has been implementing a support programme for the Directorates of Land Transport in several countries of Western and Central Africa. One of the main components of this programme is the improvement of road safety. The interest shown in this action by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Public Works is greatly appreciated as road hazard has a dramatic impact on the development process.
At the last PIARC World Road Congress*, safety issues were a focus of attention and some disturbing facts were highlighted.
Every year throughout the world, 700,000 people are killed in road accidents, but the death rate in the developing countries is proportionally far greater than in the developed countries - 5 to 10 times higher.
These accidents take a heavy toll on young people, which is obviously disastrous for new countries. The consequences are just as dramatic for the injured, who besides the suffering they endure, have to negotiate a gruelling obstacle course to get community care.
In countries with the highest car ownership, everyone has a high risk of at least 50% of being injured in a road accident at some time during his life. The outlook is consequently gloomy for developing countries where car ownership is set to increase sharply.
Although road risks are greater than in the other transport modes (rail or air), road transport of people and goods is the most popular mode and will always be a sine qua non for development. The eradication of road hazard is thus a real strategic challenge.
Isted contributes to this action by training people and by strengthening the expertise of partner countries' policy-makers in accident recording and analysis, driver training, accident prevention and awareness-raising. Isted's build-up of first-hand experience is a valuable asset in our continuing benchmark cooperation in this strategic area. 
 

 Michel Henry,
 Director, Egis Group  

*(The 21st edition of the Congress of the World Road Association (PIARC) was held from 3 to 9 October in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).

Contents 

  • Road safety and development
  • Feature: French development aid in Sub-Saharan Africa: road safety issues
    The entire African continent is in the throes of galloping, uncontrolled urbanization. This phenomenon cannot be dissociated from increasingly heavy, chaotic traffic and an upsurge in the number and severity of accidents. To combat this scourge, road safety measures have been implemented right from the beginning of the 1990s. 
  • Infomation Update: News - Events - Training sessions - Publications  

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Contact

Anne BARON
Head of Communication Departement
La Grande Arche, Paroi Nord 
92055 Paris La Défense Cedex

Tél. : 33 (0)1 40 81 24 06 
Fax : 33 (0)1 40 81 23 31

Mél. : anne.baron@i-carre.net