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Multi-Country Per Capita and VMT/VKmT Fatality Data for 2004

Page first published on September 3, 2005, and last updated on October 16, 2005. 

Edited by Eddie Wren

See a 15-year history of per capita death rates for the (now) 30 member countries of the OECD, including the USA

We also have tables showing: the 2003 per capita data for all 50 American states

and: Multi-Country Per Capita Fatality Data for 2003

DSA Comments

     It must be remembered that there are three primary measures for comparing multi-national crash and fatality data: the deaths per 100,000 population or per capita rate, deaths in relation to overall distance travelled (known in the USA as the VMT rate), and deaths in relation to the number of registered motor vehicles in the country (the latter of which is not shown at all in the above table). All three measures should be considered when comparing disparate countries but using just one of these methods is generally acceptable when comparing countries of similar status (e.g. "highly motorised countries" [HMCs], developed nations, third world countries, etc.).

     As a result, some countries in the above table may appear to present bizarre results, either because -- like China, for example -- they have a very high death toll but this is offset by a huge population, or they simply have, say, a very low proportion of motor vehicles per head of population -- such as Brunei, that was at the head of the DSA per capita table for 2003.

     There is also the question of how, exactly, a traffic fatality is defined in any particular country. Some may only include deaths at the scene, whereas others will stipulate deaths within 24 hours or one week but the growing norm would now appear to be deaths within 30 days of the crash.

     In some cases, above, the data for the number of deaths simply cannot be relied upon as being accurate. In Turkey, for example, the national press state that over 9,000 people are killed in road crashes each year, and yet each year data is published by that country giving a much lower body count.

Footnotes and Sources

1. Applies only to the thirty member-countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], as listed in the International Road Traffic and Accident Database (which was only updated from 2002 to 2003 during July 2005).  This therefore gives a guide to the generally more developed nations, between which comparisons may be somewhat more valid.  Most of the data posted here have not been prepared from data supplied by IRTAD and must not be taken as being official IRTAD results;

2. The per capita rate represents the number of deaths for each 100,000 members of the population;

3. Countries marked ^c are new to the DSA list this year;

4. Population figures are actually July 2004, sourced from the CIA World Factbook, or simply '2004', sourced from the World Bank, except where shown otherwise;

5. In the USA, the measure used is deaths per 100 million Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). Elsewhere it is deaths per one billion vehicle kilometres travelled and it is this latter, more widely-used measure that is applied in the above table. The data given in the column in question is all for 2003.  Source: International Road Traffic and Accident Database (OECD) The 2004 figure for the USA (with American spelling) is 9.07 deaths per one billion vehicle kilometers traveled (1.46 VMT);

6. Source: 'Preliminary Data on Road Safety in Europe in 2004' (European Conference of Ministers of Transport) issued on September 1, 2005;

7. No data yet located but in the interim these countries are positioned roughly where we expect them to appear in order of per capita ratings;

8. UK Department for Transport, June 2005;

9. Source:  'Road Deaths in 2004 Amongst Lowest Since 1950' Press Release L7/05, from the Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads; 24 January, 2005;

10. The Social Report 2005, Ministry of Social Development, New Zealand Government;

11. Official figure from the Chinese Government, but the WHO estimates a far higher figure;

12. Source:  The Japan Times, January 28, 2005:  'Road injuries hit record high in 2004' ('The NPA attributed the decline to fewer cases of drunk driving, following the enforcement of a tougher drunk driving law, and greater use of seat belts.')

13. Source:  Press Release: 'DOT Announces Record Low Highway Fatality Rate in 2004', August 1, 2005. [See also the DSA response to this press release:  'US Highway Safety Targets and Achievements are Far Too Low' ]. In addition, the US 2004 'VMT ['Vehicle Miles Travelled'] rate of deaths, of 1.46, may be converted to the much more commonly used deaths-per-one-billion-vehicle-kilometers by multiplying the US figure by 6.215, which gives a 2004 rate of 9.07;

14. '...Minister Jesmond Mugliett said Malta today has one of the highest levels of motorization in Europe, with 680 motor vehicles registered for every 1,000 inhabitants. Although the country nevertheless has the lowest per capita fatality rate in Europe, with 40 road traffic-related deaths per million, the statistic can be misleading since the fatality rate per kilometre travelled is still higher than the European average, given the relatively short trips that one can travel on the island...'  from the article 'Increasing Road Safety is Tantamount to Saving Lives', published by di-ve, in Malta, on 7 September, 2005;

15. Article: 'Road accident toll highest in world: Iran official', from Iran Mania, London; September 14, 2005;

16. Article: '8,000 road deaths in Gulf last year', from the Gulf Times; 19 September, 2005;

17. Article: 'Ten Percent of World's Road Deaths in India', from the New Kerala; 28 September, 2005 (though from the figures given by the Institution of Engineers (India), DSA would suggest that the 'ten percent' should actually read 7.5 percent');

18. It has been alleged that the road-death toll in China is vastly higher than the official number given, hence the reason for it being posted at the bottom of the DSA list;

19. Article: 'Steps to Reduce Road Deaths', from the New Straits Times; 15 October, 2005. The article related to the aim of reducing the rate of deaths per 10,000 registered motor vehicles, from 8.4 in 1996, through the current 4.5 to a target of 2, by 2010;

20. Science Daily; January 7, 2006.