Powered two- and three-wheeler (PTW) fleets are growing rapidly in most parts of the world. PTWs are becoming one of the main means of transporting both people and goods and are attracting an increasingly varied user population. However, PTW users account for more than 286 000 deaths around the world each year – about 23% of all road traffic deaths.
The capacity to respond to PTW safety is an important component of efforts to prevent road traffic injuries. PTW collisions, like other road traffic crashes, should not be accepted as inevitable because they are both predictable and preventable. Effective planning for PTW safety requires a comprehensive understanding of the risk factors involved and potential solutions in different settings.
This manual provides information for use in developing and implementing comprehensive measures to improve PTW safety. It equips the reader with necessary information on: the magnitude of PTW death and injury; key risk factors; how to assess the PTW safety situation in a country or area and prepare an action plan; and how to select, design, implement and evaluate effective interventions. The manual, which is designed for a multidisciplinary audience including engineers, planners, police, public health professionals and educators, is applicable worldwide, but specifically targets decision-makers and practitioners in low- and middle-income countries.