Roads are less safe in Brazil, largely due to motorcycle accidents, with road improvements and educational campaigns desperately needed
In 2020, an accident with five motorcycles and another 17 vehicles in São José dos Pinhais (Paraná State) left at least eight people dead and another 20 injured
Franklin de Freitas / Folhapress
Land transport accidents are the main cause of juvenile death in Latin America, according to the United Nations (UN). In Brazil, 392,000 people died due to traffic accidents between 2010 and 2019, an increase of 13.5% compared to the previous decade, according to a report by the Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA), published at the start of August. Excess speed, the consumption of alcohol, and distractions behind the wheel, especially the use of cell phones, are some of the main risk factors, which have affected men and motorcyclists more intensely. To improve road safety in the country, experts defend the need to make combined investments in both road infrastructure and inspection mechanisms, as well as in the creation of campaigns to educate the population about compliance with the laws and the adoption of suitable behavior on the roads.
Around 1.35 million people die each year because of road accidents globally. Forty-nine percent are pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists, according to sociologist Victor Pavarino, road safety and accident prevention officer of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). “At a global level, more than 90% of the total road traffic deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, as are the cases of the Latin American nations,” he highlights. Furthermore, UN data show that countries from the region register 17 traffic accident deaths for every 100,000 inhabitants, a number that represents almost double the European average, of nine per 100,000 inhabitants.
Globally, one of the main risk factors to road insecurity is excess speed. “Every 1% increase in average speed produces a 4% rise in the risk of a fatal accident and a 3% increase in the risk of a serious accident,” states Pavarino. According to him, the risk of death for a pedestrian struck head-on by an automobile also increases, being 4.5 times higher when the speed goes from 50 kilometers per hour (km/h) to 65 km/h. “When we think about a collision between cars, the risk of death for the occupants is 85% when the vehicle is traveling at 65 km/h.” Another complicating factor is driving while drunk or under the influence of psychoactive substances. “Even low levels of alcohol concentration in the blood of motorists increases the risk of accidents, while the risk of a fatal accident for those who consume amphetamines is around five times higher compared with those not using this type of substance,” compares the sociologist.
Marcio David Rodrigues / FolhapressA car stopped in a police raid: ingestion of alcoholic and psychoactive substances increases the risk of accidentsMarcio David Rodrigues / Folhapress
Coordinated by pharmacist and biochemist Vilma Leyton, of the University of São Paulo (USP), the project completed in 2019 investigated the use of drugs, such as cocaine, marijuana, and amphetamines, among truck drivers and motorcyclists stopped by police operations. The study analyzed saliva samples from 202 motorcyclists in the city of São Paulo, with 12.9% of the total presenting positive results for the use of marijuana and cocaine, and over half the motorcycle riders tested positive just for marijuana consumption. The study included participation from 504 truck drivers who circulated on federal highways in the state of São Paulo. “We detected that 6% of the truck drivers had taken some type of drug — 3.8% for cocaine and 1.4% for amphetamines. The occurrence of positive results for the use of marijuana was small, from just a single truck driver,” says Leyton. In the researcher’s assessment, the use of stimulants by truck drivers occurs due to the long working hours, tight delivery deadlines for goods, and a lack of suitable places to rest, among other difficulties. “Improvements in working conditions, inspection mechanisms, and awareness campaigns about the harmful effects of drugs are fundamental strategies for increasing road safety in the country,” suggests the researcher.
In Brazil, Law No. 11.705, of 2008, known as Lei Seca, or the “Dry Law” in English, determines that driving vehicles with any level of alcohol in the body is a very serious traffic violation. Besides the fine of R$2,934.70, the penalized motorist has their Brazilian Driver’s License (CNH) suspended for 12 months. Created from the directives of the Brazilian Association of Traffic Medicine (ABRAMET), the law has saved 50,000 people since its enactment, according to physician Flávio Adura, scientific director of the institution. Prior to 2008, Brazilian legislation allowed people to drive vehicles with up to 0.6 grams of alcohol per liter of blood, the equivalent of four or five units. “Studies developed by ABRAMET showed that there are no safe limits for the consumption of alcohol and driving vehicles,” affirms Adura (see Pesquisa FAPESP issue nº 327). At the end of 2020, sociologist Marina Kohler Harkot, who was doing her PhD at USP about urban mobility, was hit while riding a bicycle by a motorist accused of drunk driving at high speed. The motorist fled without offering assistance and Harkot died.
Article 64 of the Brazilian Traffic Code (CTB), created by Law no. 14.071/20, which came into effect in 2021, determines that children under 10 years old and with less than 1.45 m in height must be transported in rear seats using restraint devices suitable for their age, weight, and height. “This article improved Resolution no. 277/2008 of the National Traffic Council [CONTRAN]. Both enabled the deaths of 28,000 children to be avoided between 2008 and 2023,” the physician estimates, based on research developed by ABRAMET over the last year. Adura, also a researcher from USP’s Institute for Advanced Studies, says that, ABRAMET is currently carrying out studies to show the importance of using helmets for cyclists. In his assessment, the use of this protective equipment should be compulsory for cyclists. “The death rate of cyclists in road accidents was insignificant in the Brazilian Public Health System [SUS] records 15 years ago, whereas today it accounts for 3.5% of the total.”
“Risky behaviors and the lack of protection worsen the consequences of road traffic accidents, which cause hospitalizations and lengthy treatments,” warns the physician. “This affects the physical integrity of young people intensely and brings significant financial impacts to SUS.” A study produced by IPEA in August corroborates Adura’s statement. According to the document, one-third of the deaths from road accidents in Brazil involve people up to 15 years of age, and around two-thirds of the total are individuals below the age of 50. According to civil engineer Carlos Henrique Ribeiro de Carvalho, one of the authors of the study, the research was based on Brazilian Ministry of Health data. In accordance with the body’s criteria, deaths occurring up to 30 days after the accident are counted as land transport accidents. In 2019, this situation caused the loss of around R$320 million for SUS (see graph).
Rodrigo Cunha / Revista Pesquisa FAPESP
Research coordinated by civil engineer Ana Paula Camargo Larocca, of the São Carlos School of Engineering (EESC) of USP, showed that men from 18 to 25 years of age present a 42% higher risk of endangering themselves in overtaking maneuvers on a single lane road, considered the most dangerous type of road, compared to older men or women. Completed in 2019 with funding from FAPESP, the study was done based on analyses of the behavior of 100 volunteers from different age groups and with a driver’s license, who used a driving simulator capable of reproducing realistic virtual roads. In the study, an undivided single lane highway was used and the motorists had to overtake at moments they considered suitable. “Young males took more risks, tailgating other vehicles and making dangerous attempts at overtaking,” comments the engineer. Currently, Larocca is coordinating another study, also funded by FAPESP, to identify problems in the road infrastructure by using the driving simulator. Forecast to be concluded in 2024, the research is being done in partnership with a highway concessionaire, identifying places along the routes where signposting and resurfacing is needed. “The concessionaire has adopted the changes recommended by the research so far and, between 2021 and 2022, reduced fatal accidents by 18%,” says the researcher.
If the deaths from road accidents have worsened in all modalities of transport, the situation among motorcycle riders is alarming. From 2010 to 2019, motorcyclist deaths totaled 120,000, compared with the number of 60,000 recorded in the previous decade, according to IPEA research, developed from information from SUS. Motorcycle accidents today account for 44% of the road deaths of people between 15 and 29 years of age, whereas pedestrian accidents are responsible for the majority of the deaths of those over 70 years of age. “In 2021, of the 33,800 road deaths, 11,900 were of motorcyclists,” states civil engineer Jorge Tiago Bastos, of the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR). According to the researcher, this number is related, among other reasons, to the growth of the fleet of motorcycles recorded in the past 25 years, to the expansion of services provided by this type of driver, and the precarious labor conditions they are subjected to, with long hours and the need to make a large number of deliveries.
Committed to identifying the role of human behavior in the national overview of road accidents, Bastos is conducting an observational study in Paraná to analyze how motorists react in different situations at the wheel. Using vehicles fitted with cameras and geoprocessing systems (GPS), the researcher detected that drivers usually wait for moments of reduced speed, as occurs at stoplights and locations of interaction with pedestrians, to send text messages using their cell phone. “However, on the other hand, they do not wait to reduce speed to send voice messages or make calls, and this type of activity also distracts attention,” he adds.
Léo Ramos Chaves / Revista Pesquisa FAPESPExperts defend that the use of helmets should be mandatory for cyclists in BrazilLéo Ramos Chaves / Revista Pesquisa FAPESP
Adura agrees that the use of cell phones while driving was a preponderant factor for the worsening of road safety in Brazil in 2021, when deaths resulting from road accidents increased 3.4% compared with 2020. In line with Bastos and Adura, Pavarino, from PAHO-WHO, states that this type of distraction is a growing concern for road safety across the world. “Drivers who use cell phones while driving have around four times more risk of having an accident,” says Pavarino. “Using a telephone reduces a driver’s reflexes, as well as increasing their difficulty of keeping the vehicle in the correct lane and respecting safe distances.”
Still in relation to the research by Bastos, of UFPR, it was found that episodes of excess speed are more intense on local roads, especially in areas with a greater presence of pedestrians and cyclists. For the engineer, this type of risky behavior could be avoided by investments in traffic education, which is provided for in the Brazilian Traffic Code (CTB), in Law no. 9.503. Sanctioned in 1997, the legislation defines the duties of traffic authorities and establishes codes of conduct, as well as determining violations, crimes, and penalties for motorists. “Cities and states have not put traffic education projects into practice, despite being provided for in the legislation,” warns the researcher. The National Road Safety Observatory (ONSV), for example, has teaching aids, approved in 2017 by the Ministry of Education (MEC), aimed for use in the classrooms of students from the first to ninth grades of elementary school. Pedro Borges, responsible for the Safe Mobility area of ONSV, explains that the documents support the idea that education on the road is a principle of citizenship. “The proposal is to make the population understand that accidents can be avoided, but this also depends on our attitude on the roads,” he observes.
Regarding the legislation, Bastos recalls that one of the effects in Brazil of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011–2020, created by the UN to reduce road deaths by half, was the creation of the National Plan to Reduce Traffic Deaths and Injuries (PNATRANS), Law no. 13.614, of 2018. With the reduction target not being met in large parts of the world, the UN renewed the initiative in 2021. “One of the pillars of this new phase is the concept of safe systems, an integrated approach that recognizes roads as a complex environment, establishing that it is necessary to design roads preventing the occurrence of human errors and minimizing the consequences of accidents,” explains the researcher from UFPR.
Rodrigo Cunha / Revista Pesquisa FAPESP
Cintia Isabel de Campos Roque Guerrero, of the School of Science and Technology of the Federal University of Goiás (UFG), who defended her PhD thesis in the area of transport engineering in 2019, explains that, in the past, 95% of the occurrences were attributed to human error. “The safe systems approach, which has gained prominence in road safety studies in the last decade, states that it is unacceptable that people pay for errors with their own life,” she explains. According to the researchers, this proposal has motivated engineers to develop technologies to increase the safety of vehicles, including alerts of tiredness when they identify the driver is blinking a lot or reducing the pressure on the steering wheel; issuing audible warnings when the driver changes lane without indicating; and sensors for increasing night vision, at blind spots or to detect the abrupt reduction of speed of cars in front, among others. These systems are already included in some luxury cars and the challenge is to increase their incorporation into vehicles of all price ranges.
Besides these guidelines, other UN recommendations cover the need of countries to improve the structure for attending victims, prioritizing the circulation of cyclists and pedestrians on roads, adopting speed reduction policies, discouraging the use of private vehicles in high-density urban areas, and providing first aid training for unskilled operators, such as taxi drivers or public transport drivers. Besides the general recommendations, civil engineer Magaly Romão, of the School of Technology of Jaú (FATEC-JAHU), in the state of São Paulo, argues that each municipality should develop plans aligned to their characteristics and needs. In this sense, the researcher took part in the study, coordinated by civil engineer Antonio Clóvis Pinto Ferraz, of EESC-USP, which presents comparative data from areas associated to the level of socioeconomic development of municipalities in the state of São Paulo with over 100,000 inhabitants, including urban mobility. “Cities of the same size and with similar fleets can present different levels of accidents, which allows us to examine the idea that large municipalities, with a high circulation of cars and people, are necessarily the most unsafe in traffic,” she comments. According to Romão, more than the size of cities and the size of fleets, road insecurity is associated with low rates of development and per capita income. “It is necessary to municipalize the strategies for reducing accidents, understanding the specificities of each context,” she defends.
Léo Ramos Chaves / Revista Pesquisa FAPESPA motorcycle in the cycle lane in São Paulo: from 2010 to 2019, motorcyclist deaths totaled 20,000 victims in the countryLéo Ramos Chaves / Revista Pesquisa FAPESP
In 2017, Romão developed a project for the municipal government of Rio Verde (State of Goiás), with the aim of reducing accidents and improving urban mobility. Carried out between 2016 and 2017, the idea was based on reforming and changing the city’s landscape, reorganizing the signs and traffic lights, such as pedestrian crossings, and the placement of structures on streets and pavements to increase accessibility. Additionally, measures were developed, such as courses aimed at managers and the community, and campaigns to raise awareness. Due to this initiative, between 2017 and 2019, the city was able to reduce the number of fatal victims of road accidents by 64% and the municipal government registered savings of R$80 million in hospital expenses and property damage. “In the last decades, Brazil has had a large increase in its fleet, encouraged by policies that have aided access to credit to purchase individual transport vehicles, without adopting alternatives involving educational campaigns. This situation worsened the levels of accidents,” considers the researcher.
Furthermore, according to Romão, engineering problems on roads have stopped being the main cause of road insecurity in recent years, to the extent that it is now necessary to work more intensely on cultural and behavioral issues. “This means that investments for reforming roads should be accompanied by awareness campaigns. Otherwise, on very modern roads, for example, the user may feel so safe to the extent of exceeding the speed limits, or no longer using a seat belt,” completes the researcher.
Projects 1. Use of a static driving simulator to support road geometry and driving studies (nº 13/25034-5); Grant Mechanism Regular Research Grant; Principal Investigator Ana Paula Camargo Larocca (USP); Investment R$203,803.60. 2. Low-cost interventions in road infrastructure to reduce accidents: Study in a simulated driving environment (nº 21/10727-1); Grant Mechanism Regular Research Grant; Principal Investigator Ana Paula Camargo Larocca (USP); Investment R$210,986.83. 3. Verification of drug and medicine use by professional drivers through toxicological analysis of oral fluid: Development of new analytical methods and prevalence studies (nº 16/20214-3); Grant Mechanism Regular Research Grant; Principal Investigator Vilma Leyton (USP); Investment R$111,334.74.
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