Traffic accidents No. 1 killer
Study shows road crashes biggest cause of overseas traveler deaths
When most travelers think about the risks of traveling overseas, their thoughts revolve around mysterious diseases, unsavory characters and maybe some bad local cuisine. It turns out, however, that traffic accidents are the No. 1 risk for Americans abroad.
The U.S. State Department recently released information about the dangers of road travel, which is more pervasive than homicide, acts of terrorism or natural disasters. According to the State Department analysis, traffic accidents accounted for about a third of the 2,364 deaths of Americans abroad between 2004 and 2006. The figures could be somewhat skewed however, because of lack of reporting and other issues. According to World Health Organization statistics, about 1.2 million people are killing each year on the world’s roads.
Many of the accidents occurred in countries where automobile travel is relatively new. About 77 percent happened in low- and middle- income countries. Industry experts suggest that travelers should look into a country’s road conditions, tour operator’s safety records and follow basic, traffic safety rules, such as wearing a seat belt and avoiding drinking and driving. Some also recommend not traveling at night.
“Travelers indeed worry about malaria -- all the diseases they can contract. They worry about terrorism, they worry about hooliganism, they worry about people taking their things,” Rochelle Sobel, president of the Association for Safe International Road Travel, told the Associated Press. “And they don't worry about the single greatest cause of death.”
Additionally, traffic accidents don’t refer only to people in a motorized vehicle. According to a 1998 World Health Organization press release, pedestrians and bicyclists made up 45 percent of all road deaths in the United Kingdom in 1995. The percentages in most Western European countries were substantially lower: 17 percent in France, 20 percent in Germany and about 30 percent in the Netherlands. The death rate for motorcyclists was 10 times higher than that for vehicle passengers.
Another issue for Americans in Europe is knowing the traffic rules. In Western Europe, vehicles drive on the right side of the road – just like in America. There are, however, other rules that make driving very different. For example, in France, the motorcycles and scooters, which are everywhere, legally have the right to drive in between the lanes. So, when those scooters are zipping in and out between the cars, they are legally within their rights to do so.
Drivers in Europe often don’t respect the traffic signals. Just because the WALK light is green, doesn’t mean the drivers are going to automatically stop for pedestrians. Pedestrians need to make sure to watch the traffic as they cross the road.
Click here for more information about protecting yourself against traffic accidents while overseas.
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