This chapter presents evidence on the influence that is exerted by the ups and downs in the economic juncture upon the year-to-year variations in the fatal traffic accident rate per head of population in seven different nations. This influence is interpreted as being due to the effect of the economic fluctuations on the levels of traffic accident risk that is accepted by the road-user population in return for the economic benefit and pleasure received by the population from the amount of driving and from the degree of riskiness in the driving done. It is then argued that the notion of economic control over the accident rate may be utilized deliberately for the design of effective accident countermeasures. The existing literature on the effect of economic incentives for safety is summarily reviewed and the requirements for incentive programmes that produce the greatest per capita reduction in occupational as well as traffic accidents have been tentatively identified. (Author/publisher) For the covering abstract see IRRD 870346.
Samenvatting