BMJ  2004;328:1260 (22 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.328.7450.1260-a

Letter

Aid may make roads more dangerous than landmines

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Roberts and Abbasi highlight disproportionately low spending on preventing road injuries compared with more popular investment areas.¹ Perel et al address gaps in road safety in developing countries where risks are high since protective clothing, road rules, driver training, and speed limits are often absent.²

Annual injuries and deaths from road traffic crashes overtook those related to unexploded ordnance and landmines in Cambodia after 1998 (figure). Crashes continued to rise in number and severity—a disturbing trend when Cambodia ranks high for the number of landmines per head.

View larger version (34K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Numbers of deaths and injuries on roads and from landmines and unexploded ordnance in Cambodia. Sources: Ministry of Public Works and Transport (roads) and Cambodian Red Cross (CRC) and Handicap International (mines)

 

One aid donor, Japan, has funded bridges and road rebuilding from the 1992 ceasefire until the present, repairing damage from fighting and torrential rain.³ Japan holds a . . . [Full text of this article]

69 Peel Street, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 8BL Greg.Rose@northstaffs.nhs.uk

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