Efficiency Analysis of Road Safety Pillars by Applying the Results of a Structural Equations Model in Data Envelopment Analysis

Assessment of road safety performance of countries and their comparison is essential in guiding future decisions. The objective of this study is to search for effective safety pillars in road safety capacity strengthening based on the experiences of the leading countries. In this study, we first try to use the results of a structural equations model with partial least squares approach to select the index as the representative index of each road safety pillar. Then, using the data envelopment analysis method, the ratio of the fatality rate to the sum of five calculated weights for a set of developing countries is calculated and the analysis of the efficiency and ranking of the countries takes place. Through the data envelopment analysis, the inefficiency of the 15 countries was calculated and ranked accordingly. The results of structural equation model showed that Iran has had a fair amount of activity in the field of road infrastructure safety. According to the results of this analysis, Iran is in the 15th position after South Africa, which indicates the poor road safety status and the quantitative and qualitative inadequacy of activities undertaken in some of the country's road safety pillars. In this analysis, the three countries of Romania, Poland and Turkey had the lowest inefficiency, each of which could be a benchmark for the activities of other countries. The results showed that only the country of Poland was identified as a pattern of activities in Iran.