Abstract—It is now well recognized that road safety is a worldwide public health problem and there is a high public awareness about road traffic injuries, their grave consequences and enormous costs to society. Road safety developments are correlated with socioeconomic factors such as level of motorization and economic growth which differs significantly between developed and developing countries. This paper discusses and compares the magnitude, trends and causes of traffic accidents, accident costs and cost estimation methods, strategies and countermeasures in both developing and developed countries. Traffic safety data for the period 2003-2013 from selected developing countries are analyzed and compared with European countries (EU). The fatality rates per population for the developing countries were found to be substantially higher than those in EU countries. EU strive to make their fatality rates dropping towards their zero vision while those for developing countries may continue to be high unless effective measures are implemented to reduce the magnitude and severity of their accidents. Accident costs were found to be a real economic burden in developing countries estimated at more than 2% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) much higher compared to developed countries. The results suggest that road safety is more appreciated in developed countries. Although developed countries have a good experience in applying road safety programs, it is more difficult to apply the same safety programs in developing countries. This research also highlights the countries’ experiences in road safety improvements.

Index Terms—Road fatalities, accidents cost, safety programs, developing countries

Cite: Khair Jadaan, Ethar Al-Braizat, Sajeda Al-Rafayah, Hala Gammoh, and Yazan Abukahlil, "Traffic Safety in Developed and Developing Countries: A Comparative Analysis," Journal of Traffic and Logistics Engineering, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 1-5, June 2018. doi: 10.18178/jtle.6.1.1-5