Killing from Both Ends: A Re-Definition of Road Traffic Mortality

The metric of Road Traffic Mortality (RTM) is important: it is indicative of road safety, and is used to inform policy. Hitherto RTM is considered to be caused through collision or impact, or the “front” end of the vehicle. Mortality and morbidity arising from the “back” end of the vehicle, i.e., through tailpipe emissions, tends not to be included in the definition, or in the metric of RTM. Additionally, despite its widespread usage globally, RTM seems to lack a universal or standard definition. RTM is currently used interchangeably with about ten other acronyms. This lack of standard definition along with the exclusion of TRAP may underestimate the true mortality and morbidity arising from vehicular traffic. Further, the exclusion of mortality due to TRAP from RTM may relieve public policy from addressing this public health and climate change issue. A standardized definition of RTM is proposed in this paper. We are recommending the inclusion of exposure-related mortality and morbidity into RTM. To that end, the bifurcation of the definition of RTM into RTMi (Impact-related RTM) and RTMe (exposure-related RTM, such as through air or noise pollution) is proposed. This inclusion of RTMe into the metric of RTM might provide a legislative domicile for exposure-related mortality, advise policy change, and serve the dual purpose of strengthening climate policy efforts while bolstering public health.