INGENIEUR
is 3.57 fatalities per billion vehicle-km, the
lowest rate among all types of roads, and 168.48
fatalities per billion vehicle-km for below class III
roads, the highest among all types of roads; the
average fatality rates for other classes of Asian
Highway routes were 28.28 fatalities per billion
vehicle-km (class I), 88.88 fatalities per billion
vehicle-km (class II) and 62.96 fatalities per billion
vehicle-km (class III).
The upgrading of roads to access-controlled
primary class and other higher classes produces
a significant reduction in fatalities. Substantial
improvement in terms of safety can also be
achieved when roads below class III are upgraded
to the minimum required standards.
Observations show that significant progress in
reducing road accidents occur in countries that
adopt a multi-prong approach to tackling what
WHO defines as the five pillars of road safety,
namely
(a) road safety management,
(b) safer roads,
(c) safer vehicles,
(d) safer road users and
(e) post-crash response.
Yet, only a limited number of countries have
put in place co-ordinated multi-sectoral responses
that address the five risk factors simultaneously.
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As regional transport connectivity improves,
more traffic can be expected to cross national
borders between countries with different
road signs, signals and road markings. This
situation poses a heightened risk of accidents
to international drivers. In this regard, the recent
decision by the Tourism Department and the
Transport Ministry of Thailand to install direction
signs in Chinese in 2016 in a bid to ease the
number of car accidents caused by tourists
travelling from China into Thailand can only be a
short-term answer to an immediate problem. In
the long-run, there is a need to
(a) harmonize road signs and signals and road
traffic rules in Asia-Pacific countries; and
(b) further develop minimum standards for
above-the-ground road infrastructure from
a safety perspective.
With the above in mind, the secretariat
has provided technical assistance to member
countries to promote the harmonization of road
traffic rules, road signs and signals, as well as
in implementing the 1968 Convention on Road
Traffic and the 1968 Convention on Road Signs
and Signals. Three related national workshops
were organised in Sri Lanka (October 2014) and
Viet Nam (March 2015 and July 2015). In addition,
a four-week training programme on road safety