Role of High-Speed Roads and Vehicle Ownership on Traffic Fatalities in India

Abstract

The development of higher quality road infrastructure in developing countries improves ride quality but also enables greater driving speeds. Similarly, a growing middle class allows more people to afford personal vehicles but increases the number of drivers on the road. Improved mobility has historically been associated with economic growth, and its impact on traffic safety has been explored in high-income countries. However, the behavior of road users and vehicle ownership characteristics in middle-income countries are substantively different than those in high-income countries. This study explores the relationship between mobility and traffic safety at a region-wide level in India, a middle-income country. The results show that increasing lengths of National Highways are associated with an improvement in traffic safety while increasing lengths of all other types of roads and total number of motor vehicles are both associated with a deterioration in traffic safety. This study shows that safe roadway infrastructure has a huge role in enhancing overall safety even in countries with high vehicle heterogeneity, lack of driver education, and weak enforcement. This study’s contribution should guide decision-makers in other middle-income countries to invest in traffic safety measures alongside any investments in higher quality road infrastructure.