Road Safety: A Comprehensive Approach to Reducing Accidents

Road safety is a multifactorial challenge that requires addressing different elements of the system: people (drivers), infrastructure (streets and highways), signage, vehicles, and the regulatory framework. In Mexico, as in many countries, road accidents continue to claim thousands of lives and entail high social, economic, and human costs.

According to the "Report on the State of Road Safety in Mexico 2022," 14,715 people died in road accidents in 2021, representing a rate of 11.4 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. To address this problem effectively, it is essential to understand how the various components of the road system interact and what responsibility each actor has. Below, I present a structured analysis and some proposals to strengthen regulation, especially in vehicle safety devices.

The Operator: Behavior, Training, and Responsibility

The human factor is perhaps the most decisive factor in the outcome of a traffic incident. Errors in judgment, distractions, alcohol or drug use, speeding, and fatigue are recurring causes of accidents.

• In Mexico, it is estimated that 44 people die every day in traffic accidents, of which about 40% are young people of working age. 
• On federal highways, 3,519 accidents were recorded from January to March 2024 (on that network alone). 
• One of the most critical factors is speeding, which acts as a multiplier of the risk of mortality. 

Training and Education

It is essential that operators have well-regulated licenses, with theoretical and practical exams that include education on risks, first aid, defensive driving, and the use of safety devices. The most recent national legislation recognizes driving as a right but imposes obligations. For example, the General Law on Mobility and Road Safety requires state and municipal regulations to incorporate minimum measures (seat belt use, speed limits, pedestrian priority).  On the one hand, there must be adequate enforcement. Without this culture, even the best regulations will be dead letters.

Design With Safety Criteria

Roads must be designed with safety principles in mind: adequate separation of traffic flows, containment barriers, controlled access, curves with safe radii, visibility at intersections, safe pedestrian crossings, and speed reduction elements. Many accidents occur in recurring locations, which requires the use of statistics in planning to identify “black spots.” The SCT's General Directorate of Technical Services integrates accident statistics from the federal highway network for this purpose. 

Maintenance and Rehabilitation

A poorly maintained road increases the risk of vehicle failure and dangerous maneuvers. Therefore, constant maintenance and structural monitoring are essential.

Signage: Visibility, Consistency, and Maintenance

Signage is the communication system between the road and users. Its correct application reduces uncertainty and prevents incorrect behavior.

Basic principles include:

• Signs must be visible, clear, and have good contrast.
• They must be placed at the appropriate height and distance so that drivers have enough time to react.
• They must be consistent with each other and with the surrounding conditions (for example, warnings before curves, variable limits in school zones, among others).

Maintenance

Faded signs, bent posts, signs obstructed by vegetation or vandalism greatly reduce their effectiveness. It is essential to check them periodically, clean them, replace them, and ensure that they comply with national and international standards.

Dynamic signage

In certain sections, variable signage (electronic messages, speed cameras, adverse weather warning signs) can be used to adapt to the context. This must be integrated into the road system in a planned manner.

Regulations: An Opportunity

When we talk about road safety for passenger and freight transport, there is a regulatory opportunity in Mexico. Although there are standards, such as NOM-012-SCT-2-2017, which requires certain configurations to have ABS brakes, auxiliary brakes, air suspension, among others, or NOM-068-SCT-2-2014, which specifies the points to be checked, such as tires, windshields, and brakes. hoses, fuel tanks, among others, for heavy vehicles in circulation, there is still no specific regulation that requires minimum safety devices to be installed at the factory. 

Although there are manufacturers, especially those that have published their sales figures in INEGI for several years, that exceed the requirements of national regulations, there is a risk that there are brands that market cheap but very unsafe vehicles that put the lives of the operator and other road users at risk.

The safety devices in a heavy vehicle are divided into active (prevention/action before impact, such as seat belts) and passive (protection in the event of an accident, such as ABS brakes), and these help the operator to avoid an incident or reduce its magnitude if it does occur.

Toward Comprehensive Road Safety 

Road safety is not the sole responsibility of any one actor. It is a complex network that requires joint action:

• Operators must undergo training, awareness-raising, and face penalties when they fail to comply.
• Infrastructure must be designed, maintained, and rehabilitated with prevention criteria in mind.
• Signage must be visible, consistent, maintained, and, where possible, adaptive.
• Vehicles must come equipped with at least minimum safety devices.
• Regulations must evolve to standardize these minimum safety devices.

On the manufacturer's side, it is up to us to make heavy vehicles safe and promote challenging but achievable regulations that favor life and road infrastructure and, indirectly, support transporters in having trained operators.

With a comprehensive and collaborative policy, substantial reductions in accidents, injuries, and deaths can be achieved.