Setting Road Safety Targets in
ESCWA Countries
Lina Shbeeb
ESCWA Consultant
Workshop for Setting Regional and National Road Traffic Causality Reduction Targets in the
ESCWA Region
16-17June, 2009
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Presentation outline
• Introduction
• Safety conditions in ESCWA Countries
• Traffic Safety Management in some
ESCWA Countries
• Road Safety Target in some ESCWA
Countries
Road Safety Target
 Road safety target are generally quantitative expression that
reflects national or jurisdiction desire to achieve for improving
road safety conditions over a specified time frame.
 Road Safety Target Type
Final outcomes
Intermediate Outcome
Institutional Output
 Road Safety Target Setting Approaches
Top down long term goals.
Bottom up interim targets
 Target can be applied at regional or local level
 EU countries agreed on 50% reduction in death by 2010
Expected year of reaching the EU target, based
on the average annual reductions over the
Road Safety Target Characteristics
• Achievable and not symbolic
• Ambitious but realistic,
• accompanied by well-design and funded
safety program designed to realize them,
• Have a stringent political supported to
obtain the required level of funding and
any other needed resources
Western Asia Countries: ESCWA United Nations Economic and Social
Commission for Western Asia
Road Fatalities per 100,000 inhabitant in ESCWA
Countries
35
29
30
25
25
21
20
18
19
15
15
12
13
10
10
8
8
Yemen
Iraq
5
0
Low:
Syria
Lower Lower
middle middle
Bahrain Egypt
High
Jordan Kuwait
Lower Lower
middle middle
High
Qatar
Saudi
Arabia
Oman
UAE
High
High
Upper
middle
High
Vehicle Fleet Size in the Region (2007)
Registered
Country Vehicles population
Saudi
Arabia 11,173,941 22,673,538
Kuwait
1,251,495 2,596,799
Bahrain
273,230
689,416
Qatar
393,751 1,015,844
UAE
1,314,323 4,320,000
Lebanon 1,081,477 4,000,000
Oman
468,412 2,340,815
Jordan
841,933 5,723,000
Syria
1,390,000 19,172,000
Palestine 166,608 3,267,565
Egypt
3,497,167 69,997,318
Yemen
608,339 19,721,643
Total
22,460,676 155,517,938
Yemen
Egypt
Palestine
Syria
Jordan
Oman
Lebanon
UAE
Qatar
Bahrain
Kuwait
Saudi Arabia
0
100
200
300
400
500
Vehicle/
1000
inhabitant
493
482
396
388
304
270
200
147
73
51
50
31
144
% of
Total % of total
vehicles Population
49.7%
5.6%
1.2%
1.8%
5.9%
4.8%
2.1%
3.7%
6.2%
0.7%
15.6%
2.7%
100.0%
14.6%
1.7%
0.4%
0.7%
2.8%
2.6%
1.5%
3.7%
12.3%
2.1%
45.0%
12.7%
100%
Vehicle fleet Composition In ESCWA Region:
2007
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
Other
Van
Truck
coach
medium bus
Syria
Egypt
Yemen
Kuwait
Palestine
Jordan
Bahrain
Lebanon
Qatar
0%
PC
Selected Countries Characteristics
Population
Country
1000
Bahrain 1,046,814
Egypt
Area
Km2
Number of
registered
vehicles
Road network
length
(km)
693
401,595
2,835
6,600,000
55,000
(22,875)
National
905,592
7,816
76,480,000 1,001,450
Jordan 5,850,000
89,000
Vehicle Ownership Level by Country
(vehicle/1,000 inhabitants)
450
400
383.64
350
300
250
200
154.80
150
86.30
100
50
0
Bahrain
Jordan
Egypt
Fatalities per 10,000 Vehicles by Country
40
Qatar
Syria
Lebanon
Jordan
Bahrain
35
30
25
20
15
14.6
13.4
11.6
11.9
11.8
10
5
2.8
2.6
2.4
2.6
2.5
0
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Trend in road accident fatalities by country (20022008)
1,200
8,000
Bahrain
Jordan
Egypt
7,000
1,000
Bahran and Jordan
6,000
800
5,000
E
g
4,000 y
p
t
3,000
600
400
2,000
200
1,000
0
0
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Trend in road accident injures by country
(2002-2008)
20,000
35,000
30,000
16,000
Bahran and Jordan
25,000
12,000
E
g
y
p
15,000
t
20,000
8,000
10,000
4,000
5,000
0
0
2001
2002
Bahrain
2003
2004
Jordan
2005
2006
Egypt
2007
Road Fatalities in The Selected countries
 Bahrain fatalities in 2008:
47drivers,
18 passengers
26 pedestrians
Jordan fatalities in 2008:
198 drivers,
 294 passengers and
248 pedestrians
Accident Data System
• Police is the main source of information
• Police is the only source of information in
Bahrain and Jordan
• There are three sources of information in
Egypt (police, Health, Ministry of Transport)
• Non-visualized data base exists in the three
selected countries
• There is on going projects to develop GIS
based system
Road Engineering
• The implementation of Road safety Audit
is limited in the selected countries.
• Bahrain started to conduct road safety
audits for road projects
• Road safety inspection is conducted on
some roads in Jordan
• Hazardous site and identification program
require accident database that define
those sites with high crash records, which
is not always available
Driver education and licensing
• Driver should receive theoretical and
practical training.
• Driving test consists of theoretical and
practical parts.
• Automated theoretical test is in place in
Jordan
• Driver license is renewed every 5 years in
Bahrain and 10 years in Egypt and Jordan
Legislation and Enforcement
• New traffic laws were issued in Jordan and
Egypt in 2008
• The point system is applied in Jordan
• Traffic fine levels in Bahrain is low
compared to other countries
• Automated surveillance is applied in the
selected countries and there are plan to
expand its use.
• Automated traffic violation issuing is
recently introduced in Jordan.
Traffic safety Education and Awareness
• There is no separate/ compulsory traffic safety
curriculum in school or university.
• Safety concepts are integrated within other subjects
• Elective course in Bahrain high school is given.
• One elective course is also given only in one
university in Jordan
• Traffic police plays a very important role in traffic
awareness and education in all countries
• Non- governmental organizations plays significant
role in traffic safety education in Jordan.
• Limited private sector initiatives are made in Egypt
Road Safety Management in the selected countries
Bahrain
Egypt
Jordan
Leading agency
Technical committee for
the implementation of
national traffic Safety
structure is approved
National Council for
Traffic Safety proposed,
approved and in action
Road traffic
safety Strategy
Developer
Traffic Safety Strategy
National Road Safety
Executive Program
, Research Center for
Technological
Development and
Planning in Cairo
Universities,
Higher Council for
Road safety structure is
proposed, currently
there is a national
committee addresses
traffic safety
Proposed National
Traffic Safety Plan
Inter-Ministerial
Committee
Transport Research
Laboratory (UK) for
Ministry of Work and
Housing-Kingdom of
Bahrain
…Road Safety Management in the selected
countries
Safety Target
Bahrain
Egypt
Jordan
30% (3% per year)
Qualitative target to
Improve road safety on
roads
30% (6% per year)
Number of fatalities (175)
Number of fatalities (4215)
Number of serious casualties (1130)
Number of serious
casualties
Reduction in fatal accidents (159)
Reduction in Serious accidents (941)
Base year
2006
Year of target
realization
Endorsed Traffic
management
plan
2016
Yes from the Cabinet subjected to
some changes during the
implementation and pending for
securing funding
Starting year of
2007
Implementation
Five years from the starting 2012
year
Yes and distribute to all
Not yet
related universities to take
actions
Road traffic
Safety plan Implementing Committee
Ministry
of Health
S.G
Assistanc
e for
Roads
Chair
General
Traffic
Directorat
e Rep.
Ministry
of Public
Works Traffic
Ministry of
Municipalit
y
Communi
cation
Commissi
on
Ministry of
Education
Road traffic
Safety plan
Implementing
Committee
Insurance
company
sector:
Ministry
of Justice
Ministry
of
Informati
on
Vehicle
agency
Sector:
Traffic
safety
Strategic
Unit D
Director
Road &
Transporta
tion
studies
Center
Bahrain
Petroleum
company:
A summary for Road Safety Management Plan
• Bahrain: 129 interventions in eleven sectors with
a total cost 13, 902,000 BD ($US 40 million).
The estimated benefits are in range of 90-100
million BD ($US 270-300)
• Egypt: 32 interventions in six areas were
proposed with an estimated cost of 1,264,000
LE (($US 252,800). The benefits were not
quantified.
• Jordan: 24 interventions covers eight sectors
were considered. No cost estimate was made
nor benefits quantification
Cross-Country Intervention Themes
Bahrain
Egypt
Jordan
Road Safety Engineering
Road
Engineering
Driver Training, Testing and
Licensing
Driver
Driver training and testing
Vehicle
Vehicle Safety
Management, Co-ordination and
Funding
Accident Data System
Vehicle Inspection
Vehicle Insurance
Legislation and Enforcement
Traffic Law Enforcement
Road Safety Publicity
Traffic education and awareness
Traffic Awareness
Rescue Service
Ambulance and rescue services.
Road Safety Education in Schools
Emergency and Medical Care
Evaluation and Research
Studies and information
Comments on Road safety managements & targets
• The selected countries mainly defined outcome final
target.
• The proposed strategy in Egypt does not address
passenger safety, although they are at highest risk in the
country.
• No safety indicators have been defined in any country
that would help in monitoring the progress made in the
implementation
• Egypt adopt more qualitative target that is hard to be
monitored
• Cost –benefit analysis was made only in Bahrain, which
gives more credibility to the plan
• The cost estimate of intervention in Egypt is low.