INTRODUCTION 1-Background In recent years, along with the progress of economic growth and motorization, traffic accidents in Vietnam have beenat a high rate of approximately 10 deaths/100.000 residents. Road transportation is still a travel mode causing traffic accident the most in Vietnam. The number of road traffic accidents accounts for 95% of the total number of traffic accidents in the past decade. In many local areas, road transport is related to 98-99% of the number of accidents and deaths. Due to the field of traffic safety related to many others, including humans, vehicles, infrastructure, environment, legal regulations, etc., the solutions for ensuring traffic safety also require a high uniformity to show their effectiveness. 2-New contributions -Systematize and deepen more theoretical findings on road traffic safety, in particular focusing on the uniformity of the solutions for ensuring road traffic safety. - Analyze and assess the current situation of road traffic safety and the application of integrated solutions for traffic safety in Vietnam. Basing on these, finding out the systematically interactive causes of road traffic accidents in Vietnam in the present. - Propose some urgently and practically integrated solutions involving in humans, vehicles, transport infrastructure, organization and management to ensure road traffic safety in Vietnam. 3-Research scope and limits (targets) - Scope of the thesis In terms of spatial perspective:road network system in the country of Vietnam; In terms of temporal perspective:focusing on the situation and the statistics of traffic accidents over 5 recent years (mainly in the period of 2008 – 2013), integrated solutions for ensuring road traffic safety in Vietnam towards 2020 and until 2030. - Targets of the thesis:Focusing on road transport system in Vietnam with main targets such as transport infrastructure system, various drivers and vehicles. 4- Scientific and practical meanings In terms of scientific theory:Systematize and deepen more theoretical findings on road traffic safety, in particular focusing on the uniformity of the solutions for ensuring road traffic safety. In terms of practice:Analyse and assess to show some disadvantages of existing traffic safety ensuring solutions, propose some urgently and practically integrated solutions involving in humans, vehicles, transport infrastructure, organization and management to ensure road traffic safety in Vietnam 5- Research methodology The thesis applied some traditional research methods such as dialectical materialism, statistics, combination of comparisons and some other methods including road user behaviour analysis, spatial data analysis and use, modelling, systematization, interpretation, induction; analysis and summary. 6-Structure of the thesis 2 Besides the part of introduction, the overview of the status of abroad and indigenous traffic safety study, conclusions and recommendations, appendices, the thesis is structured into three chapters: Chapter 1: Literature review on road traffic safety; Chapter 2: Analysis of the current state of road traffic safety in Vietnam; Chapter 3: Proposingintegrated solutionsto ensure road traffic safety in Vietnam. OVERVIEW OF TRAFFIC SAFETY RESEARCH a. Analysis of abroad studies The thesis had summarized many reports of abroad studies in terms of speed, alcohol level, seatbelts, helmets and the use of the phone while driving, showed a clear relationship between these factors and the levels of accidents as well as property damage. The solutions may be divided into several phases: before the accident, at the field and after the accident. In each stage, there are solutions for law enforcement, education and propaganda, technical and emergency ambulance service to support travellers on the road, vehicles and the environment. b. Analysis of indigenous studies on road traffic safety in Vietnam There are many studies on traffic safety in Vietnam, in particular the overall planning of road traffic safety in Vietnam, some other studies done by Vietnamese experts in collaboration with foreign experts. However, it can be admitted that most of the proposed solutions are often focused on addressing the specific violations, while the uniformity of these solutions is not high. Summary from the overview: For the proposed solutions, it can be found that these measures are often focused on addressing the specific violations, while the uniformity of these solutions is not high. In the world, many different solutions have been studied, but there are other points that need improvement, especially in coordinating the implementation of the solutions simultaneously to achieve certain goals. The number of solutions and synchronization levels will depend on each object in a certain range. They can be considered as the disadvantages, gaps in the current studies that the thesis will focus on resolving. CHAPTER 1. LITERATURE REVIEW ON ROAD TRAFFIC SAFETY 1.1. OVERVIEW OF ROAD TRAFFIC SAFETY 1.1.1. Basic definition - Road Traffic: Traffic is the term used to describe the relationship between two points; used in each context regarding infrastructure system; the movement of people, goods and vehicles. - Transport is an economic activity with a human purpose to meet the needs of the relocation of the object carried. Road transport is an activity of using road vehicles for transporting people and goods on roads - Traffic safety is the state of being not dangerous, smooth and no damage for people and vehicles when travelling on routes and road sections. - The accident isan unintentional break-down, often resulting in damage to property and people. 1.1.2. Classification of road traffic accidents Road traffic accidents can be classified according to many different criteria: travel mode, accident location, age of injured people, the extent of damage to property and human; temporal aspects, and causes. 3 Figure 1.1 Classification of road traffic accidents 1.2. ROAD TRAFFIC SAFETY ANALYSIS AND CALCULATION 1.2.1. Analysis and calculation of traffic accidents Quantity analysis: Absolute indicators: total number of traffic accidents; total number of dead and injured people; total property damage caused by traffic accidents Relative indicators: Number of traffic accident fatalities / 100,000 inhabitants; per 100,000 vehicles; /1.000.000 Km travelled; Accident rate: Fatalities accidents/Total deaths x 100 (%); Average number of vehicles / 1 accident Relative indicator K a is calculated for the travel distance: = (case/km) [1.1] Where: : Number of traffic accidents; :: Travel distance To assess the severity of accidents, a coefficient K T is used: K T = [1.2] Where: n c : number of deaths, n th : number of injured people Smeed’s empirical formula: traffic accidents depend largely on population and the number of motorized vehicles: TN = f(DX, SX) [1.3] Where: TN: road traffic accidents; DS: The population of the region; SX: The number of cars Direct damagesresulting in the deterioration or destruction of facilities include: Loss of transportation; vehicle damages; road and facility damages; Ambulance and treatment for the injured people; Salaries and pensions for the victims and their families; driving obstacles. Indirect damages consist of the loss of working ability of people in a certain time; productivity damages due to vehicle being repaired; traffic accident compensation. 4 Figure 1.2 Damages due to traffic accidents Traffic safety assessment criteria: Table 1.1 Traffic safety assessment criteria No. Factor Criteria Unit Performance 1 Human 1. Number of km travelled with and without safety Veh.km, km Total number of Veh. x km, Total number of km travelled with safety 2. Fast driving, dangerous overtaking, lane encroachment % Number of cases/Total number of cases 3. Wrong avoiding and overtaking % Number of cases/Total number of cases 4. Over-speeding % Number of cases/Total number of cases 5. Driver training, 6. Driver testing, 7. Issuing driving licenses Driver, Driving license Number of people, Number of driving licenses 8. Number of drivers fastening safety belts (for cars drivers), 9. Number of drivers wearing helmets (for motorcyclists) Person Total number of people 10. Driving with a blood alcohol level exceeded the limits and using mobile phones Person Number 11. Number of people educated and propagandized by law Person Total amount of money 12. Mount of punishment fee collected VND Total amount of money obtained 13. Motorised vehicle users without driving licenses Person Total (%/number of driving licenses) 2 Transport infrastructure 14. Number of km of expressways, major and minor km Total 15. Number of km of roads having a good quality, 16. Number of km roads being maintained Km, % Km, % Km, km/total; Km or % capital/demand 5 No. Factor Criteria Unit Performance 17. Number of traffic accidents/100.000 Km Km Number of cases/100.000 18. Number of black spots Total 19. Traffic safety by systems, types of roads Km, % Total 20. Traffic safety by local areas (Provinces, Regions) Case Total 21. Traffic safety by road sections (straight, curves, steeps, crossing, lane split and merge) Case Total 22. Traffic safety devices (real own, lack) Piece Total 3 Vehicle 23.Total number of registered vehicles, 24. Vehicle inspection Veh. Total 25. Safety devices in vehicle Piece Total 26. Traffic accidents by vehicle types Case Total 27. Total number of vehicles by their types Veh. Total 4 Environment, combinations of 2-3 above factors and others 28. Natural environments by types of topography (Delta, Midland, Mountain) 29. Geographical, social, cultural environment 30. Traffic accidents in urban or suburban areas % Number of cases/Total number of annual cases 31-34. Combination of 2-3 main factors (Humans, Infrastructure, Vehicles in traffic) Case Total number of annual cases 35. Due to natural disasters, climate, weather Case, % Total number of annual cases, % 5 General factors 36. Total number of motorised vehicle (car)/100.000 residents Veh. Year 37. Number of traffic accidents/100.000 residents Average yearly 38. Number of traffic accidents Case Total annual number of cases 39. Number of deaths Person Total annual number 40. Number of death/ 100.000 residents Average yearly 41. Number of death/ 1 million Passenger.km Average yearly 42. Number of injured people Person Total annual number 43. Number of property damage VND Total annual number 44.Estimated total number of damage (covered) VND, % Total, % of GDP Quality analysis: Used for the construction of the principle of investigating the cases of traffic accidents and the degree of influence. Analysis aims to clarify the causes and factors that caused the accident. Surveying analysis: Used for the places in which a lot of traffic accidents have occurred;they are expressed in the map that mark places having frequent traffic accident rates for traffic safety warning. Traffic safety assessment criteria: Assessment indicators for the extent of damage: 6 Human damage: This type of damage is difficult to quantify; it is expressed inthe number of deaths in the traffic accidents; The statistics of deaths was collected in different way: At the field, after 24 hours, after 6 days, 15 days; 30 days after the collisionshad occurred. Damages of property, facilities, support services of damage, and the social costs paid can be quantified fairly accurately because the countriescontains all the norms and cost unit for each class of specific work. Quantifying the extent of damage caused by traffic accidents All the costs related to overcoming the consequences of traffic accidents are to be charged for the above criteria. Evaluation methods: Qualitative assessment is evaluated by sense; Quantitative assessment is quantified by the specific factors and indicators. The factors and indicators may be expressed in physical unit or in cash. Causes: Drink driving; over-speeding; No wearing helmet; No fastening seatbelt; Using cell phone while driving Factors affecting traffic safety include: Human, Vehicle, Infrastructure and other environmental aspects. 1.2.2. Analysis of the causes relating to traffic accidents The causes affecting directly traffic safety include: Drink driving, over speeding, no helmet, no seatbelt, using your phone while travelling 1.3. INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS FOR ROAD TRAFFIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENT 1.3.1. Overview of integrated measures Uniformity is a working engagement of parts or stages creating a more rhythmic performance of a perfect whole.Uniformity is expressed on many different point of views in terms of time, space, processors, affected subjects, content, Integrated solution is a combination of individual measures, according to certain criteria above such as time, space, managers, affected subjects and the contents of the solution to achieve certain results of management bodies. Integrated solutions in transport field: Their uniformity is expressed as an integration between elements in transport system; an integration between elements in the same transport mode; an integration of contents; a cooperation between travel modes; a temporal and spatial integration; an integration between managed subjects. Figure 1.3 Integrated measures in transport field 7 1.3.2. Safety measures for humans Solutions before accident: solutions for human aspects; solutions of fastening seatbelts; education, propaganda and sanctions; solutions when driving; Solutions after accident: first aid, rescue, emergency, emergency medical services at the field; responses to emergency situations. Uniformity in human factor is the main factor causing the accident. Human factors include all staff in the field of the state management, enterprise management, driver’s assistants, repairers and road users. Human factors exist in vehicle factor; in infrastructure system; in planning; in the design; in construction; in the operation and exploitation; during maintenance. 1.3.3. Safety measures for infrastructure Solutions before accident and at the field: In terms of infrastructure planning; planning solutions for transport modes; Land use planning; Design and construction of infrastructure; before operation; during operation process; Transport infrastructure maintenance process. Solutions for the current infrastructure system after accident: When the accident occurs, it is necessary to have first aid system enough to handle the situation and coordinate with the participation of travel modes. 1.3.4. Safety measures for vehicles Solutions before accident: Vehicles, which are permitted to operate in reality, must meet the technical criteria of traffic safety. Performing standardized technical conditions; strengthening inspection and supervision; raising awareness of the drivers;application of new materials to improve the driver's visibility. Solutions at the field: Crash reducing system includes airbags and damping devices Solutions after accident: Developing a design relating to danger escape 1.3.5. Summary of integrated solutions for ensuring traffic safety Summary of integrated solutions: In various conditions, many different solutions may be applied to achieve certain goals. Level 1: Minimum: for people, facilities, infrastructure and environment Level 2: Low medium: Implementation with partners indirectly related to traffic safety; Level 3: Medium: Implementation more with the subjects as participants in traffic; Level 4: Good: Implementation of the solutions at this level could bring the overall effect at a high level in the whole system; Level 5: Maximum: Almost no country can implement measures simultaneously, therefore, a reasonable divergence should have been done Integrated solutions for human factor P.1: Level of controlling vehicles for drivers and driving licenses, the way of treatment and handling various situations; P.2: Measures for drivers’ assistants; P.3: Measures for maintainers and repairers; P.4: Indirect labours and managers in the transport enterprises; P.5: Road users; P.6: State management: Government, Ministry of Transport, Department of Transport, P.7: Passengers. Integrated solutions for infrastructure system 8 I.1 : The planning solutions; I.2: Design: applying the high road safety standards in the designs; I.3: Construction; I.4: Monitoring/supervision; I.5: Traffic safety testing; I.6: Operation and exploitation; I.7: Maintenance; I.8: Inspection after accident; I.9: First aid system. Integrated solutions for vehicles V.1: Vehicle design; V.2: System of national standards; V.3: Periodic testing for technical characteristics of vehicle; V.4:Inspection skills for technical characteristics of vehicles; V.5: Vehicle management. Other solutions O.1: State management and organization system of traffic safety; O.2: Travel culture; O.3: Economic tools; O.4: Education; O.5: International context. The factors and their mixture levels are presented as following: Figure 1.4 Summary of integrated solutions for ensuring traffic safety 1.4. Lessons of failure and of success to ensure traffic safety 1.4.1. Lessons of success The countries developed a sustainable transport system, which has the appropriate ratios for personal transport and public transport, as well as urban development according to land use patterns to support for public transport, are the successful cases. 9 1.4.2. Lessons of failure The countries only focusing on measures to improve the safety for motorized transport system have high accident rates. It is the fact that traffic safety need to be addressed by the contents being out of the sector of road transport (rail, marine, air), as well as non-motorized transport and public transport. 1.4.3. Traffic safety enhancing lessons drawn to Vietnam: It is essential to have a traffic safety management authority to coordinate the implementation of traffic safety integrated solutions. Government shall direct ministries and relevantagencies; Focusing on solving black spots; strengthening law enforcement and violation handling; Directing to reduce traffic accidents in the targeted areas; Dissemination of traffic safety laws; traffic safety education at schools and training institutions; Developing public transport system, restricting the number of private vehicles. 2. CHAPTER 2.ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT STATE OF ROAD TRAFFIC SAFETY IN VIETNAM 2.1. ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT OF ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN THE WORLD 2.1.1. The statistics of traffic accidents By population: European region, Japan, Australia and North America have a very low traffic accident rate, South Africa and some countries have very high rate. The developed countries have good infrastructure system, high quality of driver training and testing system, high educational level of people, high technical standards of vehicles. By the number of vehicles: For damagescaused by traffic accidents per capita and the travelling amount (veh.km) in several countries around the world it can be seen that developed countries have a lower rate of loss than that of developing countries. Besides, the percentage of damage relates directly to the percentage of motorized vehicle ownership in the countries. Relationship between the averageincome per capita and the level of traffic safety also depends on many other factors such as the level of motorized vehicle ownership; the highermotorized vehicle ownership,the higher probability of accidents. By the extent of damage Loss of the economycaused by accidents can be up to 3%. Countries belonging to low and average income group havethe number of motorized vehicles of 53% of the total; and they account for 92% of the total number of deaths in the world. People who are easy to meet with accidents include pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclist;they account for 50% of the total number of people killed. 2.1.2. Some integrated solutions for traffic safety improvement in the world Accident is a very diverse mixture, a combination of human factors, vehicles, infrastructure and other factors. When a black spot is created by a combination of several factors, the solutions should have a high uniformity. 57% caused by the drivers, 27% caused by transport infrastructure and drivers, 6% caused by the drivers and vehicles, 3% by roads, 3% caused by three factors, 2% caused by vehicles and 1% caused bytransport infrastructure and vehicles. 10 Solutions for Traffic Safety are applied very diversely in many countries, including 4Cs [Communication, Cooperation, Collaboration and Coordination] and 4Es[Engineering, Education, Enforcement and Emergency]. 2.2. ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT OF ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN VIETNAM 2.2.1. Overview of economic-social conditions in Vietnam Vietnam, located on the Indochinese peninsula, has estimated population of 89.7 million in 2013 with a population density of 270 persons / km 2 . Economic growth rate is approximately 6% per year. Vietnam has a convenient location for transport, with a long coastline, and the South China Sea which is the most important area for international shipping. Vietnam has potentials to develop a multi-modal transport system and it may become a goods transfer hub in the region and in the world. 2.2.2. Introduction of transport system in Vietnam Road network: Total road length is 258 200 km; including national highway, provincial roads, urban roads, specialized roads; The average density of 0.78 km/km 2 and 2,94 km / 1,000 inhabitants. Road network covers throughout the country, but poor quality; the number of national highways is limited. In urban centers, streets with a non-homogeneous width limit their usability and exploitation. Railway, waterway and air transport network: Railway network has a total length of 3.143km, including trunk lines; feeder lines and station lines, railway density of 9.5 km / 1000km2, outdated and degraded infrastructure Inland waterway transport: Vietnam has 2,360 canals and rivers with the total length of 198,000 km; those which could be exploited account for 21.16% of the total length. Marine Transport: Includes 55 seaports with their average transit capacity of 434 million tons / year. Vehicles In the period of 2006-2012, that the number of the types of cars rose too quickly leaded to a situation of oversupply, a harsh competition between transport enterprises. The new vehicles become increasingly innovative; however, the number of outdated and uncomfortable vehicles remains a high percentage of 23.3%. This is one of the causes of losing road traffic safety. There are 1,837,436 cars and 40 million motorcycles. Car density in Vietnam is still very low in comparison with the world (20 vehicles/1000 inhabitants), while the number of motorcyclesaccounts for the highest rate in the world (approximately 500 vehicles/1000 inhabitants). Traffic safety organization and management system [...]... the conditions to implement these integrated solutions described above The factors and their mixture levels are presented as following: Figure 3.1 Summary of integrated solutions for ensuring traffic safety On this basis, the integrated solutions for enhancing road traffic safety in Vietnam are presented in detail in the following sections Summary of integrated solutions: In various conditions, many... solutions for Vietnam (2) Evaluating the current state of road traffic safety in Vietnam New contributions of the thesis are: - Admitting that the solutionsof restricting road traffic accidents in Ninh Binh from noware concentrated largely in one direction from top to down It is an approach in point of view of the managers, so some solutions not consistent with the actual conditions, particularly on population... for proposing practical solutions On that basis, the integrated solutions are proposed to enhance road traffic safety in Vietnam until 2020 and oriented to 2030 New contributions of the thesis are: (1) Systematizing and enriching literature review of traffic safety, integrated solutions for traffic safety improvement, including the solutions before the accident, in the field and the solutions after... implement measures simultaneously, therefore, a reasonable divergence should have been done 18 Integrated solutions are builtfor humans, infrastructure, vehicles and other factors; these factors affect the integrated solutions to ensure traffic safety Regarding infrastructure, including network planning; design, construction, supervision, safety inspection before exploitation, operation, maintenance, safety. .. improving road traffic safety in Vietnam - Traffic accidents often occur due to a combination of many factors, so it is essential to have new integrated solutions to maximize the efficiency of each solution The thesis analyse the integrated solutions applied in the world to ensure traffic safety as well as researching experiences of success and failure to provide a basis for analysing and proposing solutions... Sustainable development of solutions and policiesfor road traffic safety meet current and future requirements; reduce traffic accidents and congestions sustainably Orientations for ensuring road traffic safety: Education and advocacy; Institutional policies; Transport infrastructure and road traffic organization 3.2 BASIS OF PROPOSING INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS To propose solutions, the thesis based on the... safety inspection after the accident and first aid system Of which,operation and exploitation play a very important role in ensuring traffic safety; therefore, the thesis will focus on analysing and calculating to determine a reasonable speed for the vehicles during operation process corresponding to each condition of road During operation process of the vehicles on the road, there are two vehicles in. .. the international trends and the lessons of success in the field of traffic safety 17 Analysing the characteristics of the objects applied with the proposed measures in Vietnam Finding out the specific traffic safety characteristics of each object Designing integrated solutions suitable to the traffic safety characteristics of the objects Considering the impacts of the solutions Determining the conditions... of the object managed; minimize investment requirements in terms of resources, in principle taking advantage of the lessons learned from the leading cities and countries in solving problems of traffic safety The integrated solutions proposed are based on the following process: Defining the objectives of ensuring road traffic safety in Vietnam with the specific schedules Analysing the characteristics... Figure 2.1 Traffic safety management model in the provinces National level: National traffic safety committee is a body assisting the Prime Minister to solve problems related to traffic safety; Ministry of Transport (Directorate for roads of Vietnam /Traffic safety department/Transport department) is an unit related directly to the central management of traffic safety Local level: Provincial traffic safety . Summary of integrated solutions for ensuring traffic safety On this basis, the integrated solutions for enhancing road traffic safety in Vietnam are presented in detail in the following sections Analysis of indigenous studies on road traffic safety in Vietnam There are many studies on traffic safety in Vietnam, in particular the overall planning of road traffic safety in Vietnam, some. Literature review on road traffic safety; Chapter 2: Analysis of the current state of road traffic safety in Vietnam; Chapter 3: Proposingintegrated solutionsto ensure road traffic safety in Vietnam.