SOME TRAFFIC SAFETY IMPLICATIONS OF MOVEMENT OF GOODS BY ROAD

To help to reduce the numbers killed, disabled or injured in road traffic accidents, all kinds of road use need to be examined for their traffic safety implications, and movement of goods by road and other uses of goods vehicles are no exception. Recent published data for Great Britain and counterpart data for Hong Kong are used in an exploratory study of the pattern of casualties in road accidents involving goods vehicles The use of goods vehicles is shown not to be unduly hazardous compared with other use of motor vehicles in terms of aggregate risk, but in accidents involving goods vehicles, the numbers of casualties to other kinds of road user are substantially greater than those to the goods vehicle users themselves. Some issues arising for road safety policy and for those sectors of business that make use of goods vehicles are discussed. Suggestions for further research are made.