A Comparative Appraisal of Roadway Accident for Asia-Pacific Countries

This paper describes an attempt to shed some light on road safety in Asia Pacific region by characterizing and assessing its road accidents. The relevant national road accident data were extracted from centralized data sources of international agencies. Due to data incompleteness and missing values, 21 Asia Pacific countries, presenting more than half of the world’s population, were selected for detailed analysis. The study database consisted of 7 variables, covering years 1980 and 1995. The univariate and multivariate statistical analyses for the selected countries showed interesting results and relations for the selected variables. Accident rates, reflecting road accident risk and intensity, were developed, evaluated and modelled. Deploying multi-criteria analysis techniques such as data envelopment analysis, DEA, provided appropriate bases for cross-sectional appraisal and target setting. As safety is one of the aspects of sustainable transportation, arc elasticity of road accident variables with respect to demographic, economic and road transportation supply variables through time were developed and analysed. Based on the developed elasticities, a composite road safety sustainability index was suggested. The appraisal of road accident for the Asia Pacific countries suggested that road accident has posed a creeping public safety crisis for the region. The study showed that the magnitude of road accident problem varied considerably among countries. The study offers the methodology and conclusions of a comparative macroscopic road accident appraisal for the Asia Pacific region.