Road Crash Risk Among Vulnerable Population Groups in Andhra Pradesh, India

Most road traffic crash literature on India is statistical in expression and anecdotal in reference. Understanding the nation’s vulnerable road user (VRU) concerns is nascent and therefore this work is important because it provides factual evidence from Andhra Pradesh which had the most traffic fatalities of any state in 2006 and 2007. The objectives of this research are to (a) complement recent safety works; (b) present gender- and age-stratified crash data; (c) identify VRU groups and detail the experiential risks of children, women and senior citizens; (d) discuss impacts due to paid drivers, license status, alcohol, speeding, and vehicle types; and (e) propose mitigation methods. During 2001-2006, the fatal, grievous, and minor injury crashes among children, and fatal crashes among the 55-plus year-olds increased alarmingly. The 21-24 year category had the most age-adjusted unit risk rate, while the 35-44 year-olds had the highest death rate per 100,000 people (39.1 for males; 6.5 for females). Paid drivers were involved in over 50% of crashes while over 80% drivers held a valid license. Alcohol involvement (10%) and over-speeding incidence (40%) are causes for concern. Male motorized two-wheel exposure (22%-32%), involvement of trucks (10%-20%) and buses (10%-23%), and female pedestrian incidence (15%) require further evaluation. Discussion issues and proposed strategies include (a) VRU studies to understand causal relationships; (b) road infrastructure design considerations; (c) vehicle and operations regulation; and (d) driver training. Since AP is representative of most states, these crash mitigation measures can be applied across India and in other developing countries.