Policy Statement: Less Than 200 Deaths Before Year 2000: Effective, fast and low cost measures

The Betts Injury Prevention Project in the Unit of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel, has submitted to the Israeli Government and to the public a proposal for achieving "Vision 0," or no deaths from road injuries in Israel. It has prepared a set of recommendations which would produce large reductions in road deaths and injuries swiftly and at little cost. The provisional estimates are based on best results achieved world wide with the implementation of each of the actions listed in this statement.

Actions

Killed Now 

Lives Saved
Nationwide System 
Automatic ticketing ; 200-300 roadside electronic monitors - now  240  80-120 
monitors and back-up dpu system: speeding & speedgaiting--interurban; fewer/no increase in patrol cars 
Speed addiction: speed limit down from 100 to 90 kph  60  40-50 
Breath alcohol testing: night; Ban hand-held mobile phones for drivers ? Extend seat belt laws to occupants of transits, light trucks Young drivers and occupants  100  20-40 
ELIMINATE compulsory driver ed in high school  ?  ?
Graded restrictive licensing; Restore teen age night curfew
Better safety and tire standards and recalls of defectives  10-30
Seat belts in light trucks and transits <11 passengers 
Better door and lock standards; Airbags; "Transits": tougher shells; passenger seat belt laws; front/rear/side spare tire absorbers 
Motorcycles: tougher licensing/tachy/governors ?
Trucks and their drivers:EEC standards  120  60-70
Minimum license age/exp levels: 25; < 80 -70-60 kph max limit; right lane only; 3-4 second headway rule; More women drivers; Higher baseline wage; Eliminate/ reduce incentive premiums; Workday < 9 hrs: Rest period q 4 hours; back-up whistle interlock; ban double trailers; light up sides; underride absorbers; tachygraphs and governors; truck brakes/.Screen for hi bp, sleep apnea; diabetes; prob drinking, drugs Frontal crashes: lights on day--all year two lane roads ?
CJ-5 jeeps: ban  3-5
 

Roads:
Pad/cushion NJ barriers and steel pole booby traps 28  10-20
Shaded rest/cool/water stops (especially in Negev) 
Pedestrians:
Pedestrianize: Map hot spots; more 20-30 kph zones; humps, bumps, bigger letters; signs, paint, midline - islands, light reflective clothing, urban roadside electronic speed monitoring  180 70-100
Cyclists: helmet law-NOW and bike paths  18 10-15
Implement "Golden Hour"in prehospital First Aid and emergency care 40 50
Information:
informs policy makers, legislators, journalists, public on: programs which work or don't; builds support. *behavioral impact not always seen!
Environment: Self-sustainable transportation system: Raised petrol and lower bus fares; trains, better buses 

Total

 550b 343-500*
*Overestimate if same lives saved more than once. b, 1995 (+155 in J-S)

 **Presupposes enforcement of seat belt laws for front and rear occupants

 For further information contact: ED Richter, MD, MPH, Hebrew University-Hadassah Betts Injury Prevention and Control Program, email: elir@cc.huji.ac.il tel: 972-2-6758147 fax: 972-2-6435083.