Road safety: a look back and a look forwards

Road accidents were regarded as part of life until the rapid increase after the end of fuel rationing in 1949. By 1954 road deaths exceeded deaths from all infectious disease. Road accidents were defined entirely in terms of human error and remedies were sought in exhortation and the supernatural. Rational policies were inhibited by this mode of thought and by lack of knowledge. In the late 50's, individuals from several professions became concerned to secure application of scientific method to the problem. In the 60's technical committees were formed, work was begun in several universities and professional societies examined the problem, a salient meeting being that convened by the institution of engineers in 1967. Influential advocacy groups appeared. The late 60's saw the development and implementation of a number of countermeasures, stimulated by events in USA. Road safety, as measured by deaths, reached its nadir in 1970. Thereafter death frequencies and rates declined. To date, countermeasures concerning roads, vehicles and helmets for two wheel riders have been notably successful. Measures against road user impairment by alcohol, though vigorously pursued, have had only a modest effect. In the future, improvements will be more difficult to obtain, though there are several factors not adequately tackled (a).