Characteristics and availability of fatal road-crash databases worldwide.

Abstract

This study examined the characteristics and availability of fatal road-crash databases worldwide. The study involved two parts. In the first part, the major international road databases were briefly reviewed. These databases included IRTAD, IRF, UNECE, WHO, and CARE. In the second part, the national databases in 20 selected countries were examined. The countries included the 14 European countries in CARE, plus Germany, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, and the U.S. The main results were as follows: (1) The available international databases of fatal road crashes typically include aggregated data. (2) There is a national database of fatal road crashes in each country examined. (3) All countries provide aggregated crash data, but there are substantial restrictions on the availability of disaggregated data. (4) Overall, the crash data at the accident level are relatively similar, but there are substantial differences in the information at the person level. The results of this study imply that international road safety research would greatly benefit from expanded availability of disaggregated fatal crash data worldwide.