Benchmarking Road Safety: A Global Comparative Analysis Based on Economic and Mobility Modes

抄録

This study explores the relationship between economic development, transport modes, and urban road safety through a global comparative analysis. Using a harmonised dataset of 200 cities across 48 countries, we apply Principal Component Analysis and fixed-effects regression to identify structural patterns in road fatalities. Results indicate a context-dependent link between GDP per capita and fatality rates, supporting the existence of a "safety Kuznets curve", fatalities initially rise with development before declining in high-income settings. Modal share analysis shows that higher levels of active mobility and public transport are associated with lower fatality rates in developed cities. In lower-income contexts, however, this relationship can reverse, as increased mobility may raise exposure to risk without adequate infrastructure. The study also highlights major challenges in global safety benchmarking, including data heterogeneity, definitional inconsistencies, and temporal misalignment. It calls for more standardised global road safety metrics to support effective policy and urban transport planning.