Vehicle safety standards as mechanisms for preventing deaths and injuries caused by traffic in Colombia

Introduction

In Colombia, 6,690 people died from road crashes in 2019; for this and the following two years, deaths from traffic crashes were the second cause of death due to external causes. Many of these deaths can be prevented by implementing cost-effective population-level measures such as the WHO¹-established Vehicle Safety Standards² (VSS). Our objective was to identify the perceptions of key stakeholders about the adoption and implementation of VSSs in the Colombian context.

Methodology

Exploratory, descriptive and multimethod study, using analysis and information collection techniques, such as the design and application of semi-structured interviews to recognize the different perspectives, power resources, and characteristics of certain consumers regarding VSS in the Colombian context. The advertising offered in various media about VSS was described and analyzed; sources of information on the rights of consumers and stakeholders regarding this issue were analyzed.

Results

Relevant and expectant critical actors regarding the implementation of VSS were identified. VSS advertising adapts to different media, sometimes making it difficult to display. We identified that the Colombian market prioritizes the price of vehicles over safety and luxury as the category most valued by consumers in vehicles purchased in Colombia. Some entities were found to have been sanctioned for misleading advertising and technical failures of the VSS.

Conclusions

To reduce the road crash rate, Colombia must adopt international measures such as the standards of the United Nations World Forum for the Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations known as WP.29, which obliges States to improve the design, production, marketing, and distribution of safe vehicles. Some key players in the automotive industry are favorably disposed to adopting WP.29 due to the reduction in injuries and damage to the health of road users, even more so in the post-pandemic period that shows an increase in these events that impact public health.