Research has linked lower socio-economic status with a higher likelihood of being involved in road accidents. If current trends continue, those in low and middle-income countries especially face a public health challenge of epidemic proportions.In low-income countries most casualties are not motor vehicle occupants; they are pedestrians, cyclists and riders of motorised two-wheelers. These vulnerable road users are especially at risk when the road space is shared between fast-moving vehicles, pedestrians and animals, with no methods of separation.
In many countries safety devices are unaffordable, and/or unavailable, for the vast majority of the population. The amount of labour required of parents to buy child safety devices is considerably more in lower income countries than in middle and higher income countries. According to the World Health Organisation, children from poorer families have higher rates of injury, even in high-income countries. BB.
