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Here's a map that shows how many deaths in traffic are occuring per 1 million inhabitants in europe: https://etsc.eu/wp-content/uploads/map_twitter.png https://

Here's a map that shows how many deaths in traffic are occuring per 1 million inhabitants in europe: https://etsc.eu/wp-content/uploads/map_twitter.png https://etsc.eu/wp-content/uploads/map_twitter.png

silvestrov 9y ago
The corresponding number of fatalities in USA is 115.9 per 1 million inhabitants. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_vehicle_fatality_rate_in_U.S._by_year https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_vehicle_fatality_rate_in...
kalleboo 9y ago
I thought the relevant statistic was deaths per kilometer traveled? Otherwise you get countries where people simply drive more skewed higher despite any given ride being just as safe/safer.
- hippish 9y ago
  Yeah, that ought to skew the results a bit. Looks like the top countries remain the same though https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/transport/road-safety-annual-report-2017/road-fatalities-per-billion-vehicle-kilometres-2015_irtad-2017-graph2-en#page1 https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/transport/road-safety-annual-...
- sdhgaiojfsa 9y ago
  There are a lot of ways to slice the data, and each of them tells a different part of the story. Suppose two countries have the exact same number of fatalities per km, and the same population, but one country drives twice as much. It is still a relevant fact that the country that drives twice as much has twice as many deaths. Policies that discourage driving will help reduce death rates in that country.
  - briandear 9y ago
    Assuming death rates from driving are the only death rates affected. There are unintended consequences worth studying.
    - kalleboo 8y ago
      It certainly can get very complex. Diesel emissions vs electric cars. Emissions in a city where everyone is inhaling the pollution vs in the countryside where it disperses quickly...
- CalRobert 8y ago
  Infrastructure that forces you to drive more is more dangerous. Do we measure "deaths per bullet purchased"? Shorter drives means fewer deaths, generally speaking.
klausjensen 9y ago
Source for the above, but interactive. Check out the infographic, where you can "turn back time" and see how much traffict deaths have been reduced. Europe goes from almost bright red to green/yellow over 15 years.
- ygra 9y ago
  I'm assuming you meant to share the following: https://infogram.com/road_safety_progress_2016 https://infogram.com/road_safety_progress_2016
TomK32 9y ago
In Greece you can buy little metal plugs for your sealtbelt socket so you don't have to use the seatbelt and don't get the error beeps from the car. I'm sure it does contribute to the fatality rate.
- sjwright 9y ago
  I don't get why anyone would want that. At no time in the two decades I've been driving a car, I've never, ever, ever thought to myself "This seatbelt is annoying, I wish I didn't have to use it." I don't even recall ever thinking that as a child passenger.
  - Freak_NL 9y ago
    That is the normal response in countries that completed the cultural transition from 'no seatbelts' to 'never without a seatbelt', but not all countries started this transition at the same time, and some will take longer than others due to various cultural and political factors, such as the actual risk of getting fined for the offense and the effect of the publicity campaigns. Not using a seatbelt was the norm only fifty years ago.
    - yodsanklai 9y ago
      I remember when we made the transition in my country, about 35 years ago. My mother was pissed off that the government forced her to use the seatbelt. She got herself a doctor note stating she couldn't use it for medical reasons... And a little more recently, people were complaining when we had to wear it on the rear seats, or in buses.
      - wink 8y ago
        Maybe it's also how your parents prime you with the necessity. While seatbelts for cars have been mandatory since 1976 in Germany for trucks over 3.5t it's only been since 1992 and I do remember riding in a truck that didn't even have seatbelts (thus it was still ok to ride without) in the early 90s and have an uneasy feeling. Maybe my parents were adamant enough to always wear a seatbelt in the car (at the same time)... Wouldn't say I was scared, but apparently I believed them it was a good thing :P
VeejayRampay 8y ago
Note that any stats about France should mention that French roads are some of the busiest in Europe, because we're at the crossroads of everything (lots of truck traffic coming from Germany / Portugal / Spain / Italy / The Netherlands on the highways for example).

silvestrov 9y ago

The corresponding number of fatalities in USA is 115.9 per 1 million inhabitants. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_vehicle_fatality_rate_in_U.S._by_year https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_vehicle_fatality_rate_in...

kalleboo 9y ago

I thought the relevant statistic was deaths per kilometer traveled? Otherwise you get countries where people simply drive more skewed higher despite any given ride being just as safe/safer.

hippish 9y ago
Yeah, that ought to skew the results a bit. Looks like the top countries remain the same though https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/transport/road-safety-annual-report-2017/road-fatalities-per-billion-vehicle-kilometres-2015_irtad-2017-graph2-en#page1 https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/transport/road-safety-annual-...
sdhgaiojfsa 9y ago
There are a lot of ways to slice the data, and each of them tells a different part of the story. Suppose two countries have the exact same number of fatalities per km, and the same population, but one country drives twice as much. It is still a relevant fact that the country that drives twice as much has twice as many deaths. Policies that discourage driving will help reduce death rates in that country.
- briandear 9y ago
  Assuming death rates from driving are the only death rates affected. There are unintended consequences worth studying.
  - kalleboo 8y ago
    It certainly can get very complex. Diesel emissions vs electric cars. Emissions in a city where everyone is inhaling the pollution vs in the countryside where it disperses quickly...
CalRobert 8y ago
Infrastructure that forces you to drive more is more dangerous. Do we measure "deaths per bullet purchased"? Shorter drives means fewer deaths, generally speaking.

klausjensen 9y ago

Source for the above, but interactive. Check out the infographic, where you can "turn back time" and see how much traffict deaths have been reduced. Europe goes from almost bright red to green/yellow over 15 years.

ygra 9y ago
I'm assuming you meant to share the following: https://infogram.com/road_safety_progress_2016 https://infogram.com/road_safety_progress_2016

TomK32 9y ago

In Greece you can buy little metal plugs for your sealtbelt socket so you don't have to use the seatbelt and don't get the error beeps from the car. I'm sure it does contribute to the fatality rate.

sjwright 9y ago
I don't get why anyone would want that. At no time in the two decades I've been driving a car, I've never, ever, ever thought to myself "This seatbelt is annoying, I wish I didn't have to use it." I don't even recall ever thinking that as a child passenger.
- Freak_NL 9y ago
  That is the normal response in countries that completed the cultural transition from 'no seatbelts' to 'never without a seatbelt', but not all countries started this transition at the same time, and some will take longer than others due to various cultural and political factors, such as the actual risk of getting fined for the offense and the effect of the publicity campaigns. Not using a seatbelt was the norm only fifty years ago.
  - yodsanklai 9y ago
    I remember when we made the transition in my country, about 35 years ago. My mother was pissed off that the government forced her to use the seatbelt. She got herself a doctor note stating she couldn't use it for medical reasons... And a little more recently, people were complaining when we had to wear it on the rear seats, or in buses.
    - wink 8y ago
      Maybe it's also how your parents prime you with the necessity. While seatbelts for cars have been mandatory since 1976 in Germany for trucks over 3.5t it's only been since 1992 and I do remember riding in a truck that didn't even have seatbelts (thus it was still ok to ride without) in the early 90s and have an uneasy feeling. Maybe my parents were adamant enough to always wear a seatbelt in the car (at the same time)... Wouldn't say I was scared, but apparently I believed them it was a good thing :P

VeejayRampay 8y ago

Note that any stats about France should mention that French roads are some of the busiest in Europe, because we're at the crossroads of everything (lots of truck traffic coming from Germany / Portugal / Spain / Italy / The Netherlands on the highways for example).