Road safety in Brazil: Challenges and opportunities

Abstract

This report was designed to analyze the traffic-safety situation in Brazil, and to identify countermeasures for areas in which the total harm caused by crashes can be substantially and readily reduced. The report focuses on two aspects of traffic safety in Brazil: challenges and opportunities. The first part of the report provides a comprehensive analysis of the current traffic-safety situation in Brazil. Based on this analysis, the following four areas are identified as having potential for substantially reducing fatalities in Brazil: (1) pedestrian crashes, (2) motorcycle crashes, (3) nighttime crashes, and (4) crashes on two-lane roads. The second part of the report outlines several promising countermeasures for each of these four areas. The discussion of the current traffic-safety situation and the proposed countermeasures were based on the available data that, in many respects, are not comprehensive and uniform. Consequently, it is recommended that a uniform, detailed reporting system on all fatal crashes in the country be instituted.