How National Income Predicts Traffic Safety

It's easy to forget, when we talk about road safety improvements in countries like the United States, that the picture looks dramatically different in many other parts of the world. Generally speaking, the more developed a country's economy, the safer its roads, although this relationship is a product of more than mere engineering.

The higher the typical income level of a country, the more likely it is to have mandates for seat belts and air bags, penalties for unsafe drivers, safety assessments for new cars, laws against cell phone use while driving, and legal maximums for blood-alcohol concentration. Higher-income countries are also more likely to have national road-safety strategies, and policies promoting walking and cycling, or encouraging investment in public transit. And that's to say nothing of the quality of medical care after a collision.