A study of the impact of traffic investment on traffic fatalities in China, 2004 - 2020.

Purpose: Road traffic injuries (RTIs) have been one of the most serious public health problems in China. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which traffic investment affects traffic fatalities in China as well as regional differences.

Methods: The cohort study analyzed the correlation between traffic investment and traffic fatalities, incorporating additional factors such as economic conditions, road infrastructure, population density, and lighting. The selected variables included the number of traffic fatalities, traffic investment, urban per capita road area, urban road length, road mileage, urban road lighting, population size, and per capita gross domestic product. Relevant data between 2004 and 2020 were collected for an analysis using a fixed effect regression model. A p < 0.05 is considered statistically significant. To reduce the heterogeneity caused by regional differences, the provinces were divided into 6 groups according to administrative districts, and the clustering standard error analysis was carried out.

Results: Overall, there has been a significant improvement in road safety in China from 2004 to 2020, but some regions show an increase in traffic fatalities. The model reveals that traffic investment is significantly and positively correlated with the number of traffic fatalities. Holding all other factors constant, each 10,000 yuan increase in transport investment was associated with an average increase of 0.22 road traffic fatalities. In the analysis of regional differences, there was a significant positive correlation between traffic investment and traffic fatalities in the Northwest region and an increase of 10,000 yuan leads to an increase of 0.47. There was a significant negative correlation between road mileage, urban road lighting system, and population and traffic fatalities. For example, holding other factors constant, a 10,000 km reduction in road length would increase the number of traffic deaths by 45.56. The model results of urban per capita road area, urban road length, per capita gross domestic product, and the explained variables showed that p > 0.100, which was not statistically significant.

Conclusions: Therefore, traffic investments are essential for governments to develop measures to enhance road safety and reduce the risk of road fatalities. Adjusting traffic road investment and other covariates is conducive to improving traffic safety and reducing the risk of road fatalities. The road safety situation in different regions of China varies greatly. Local governments should consider the actual conditions to provide better road safety configuration policies.