Improving Road Safety in Myanmar

Thet Naing Htoo (40455566)

Abstract
Road safety becomes the most serious issue in Myanmar since a large number of people lost
their lives in road accidents in recent years. Implementation of sustainable road safety system
in Myanmar may reduce the injury and death rates on roads. The dangers that road users and
pedestrians might face on the roads are classified. Facilities for pedestrians and disabled
people are also mentioned. Additionally, advanced methodologies such as sustainable safety
procedure, Vision Zero and intelligent transportation systems (ITS) are also described which
will help to make the roads safer. The result of this article will be helpful to the road authorities
in Myanmar in reducing the accidents and providing safe systems of roads.
Keywords highest deaths caused by road traffic
safety, road, sustainable, accident, accidents compared to countries in South
transportation, traffic, car, vehicle, hazard, East Asia. Research says that one-third of
system, strategy, procedure, problems, every sort of injuries reported by the
fatalities, pedestrians. hospitals came from road accidents. Unless
the road accidents are handled in time, the
1. Introduction amount of death rate is supposed to be
The goal of this article is to improve the road doubled by 2020. [CITATION Phy191 \l 1033
safety systems in Myanmar. Safety is the ]
most fundamental fact to be considered for
the transportation sector. As a developing 2. National Data of Myanmar
country, Myanmar requires a huge amount The Republic of Union of Myanmar which is
of positive changes to the transportation mostly known as Myanmar is located in
system. Fatal injuries increase every year South-East Asia and also a member of
since 2013, which points out the lack of road ASEAN. The area is 676,577.23 square
safety systems in Myanmar. Therefore, kilometres and 54,067,178 people are living
effective road safety management and in Myanmar in 2019 [CITATION Wor19 \l
systems are required to implement in 1033 ]. The entire road length in Myanmar is
Myanmar to reduce the number of fatalities 16777 miles (27,000 kilometres). Vehicles in
and injury rates on roads. Several deaths, Myanmar drive on the right side of the road.
injuries and damage of vehicles and The following table shows the number of
buildings due to road accidents which lead accidents in Myanmar with classifications of
to a loss for the country. vehicles from 2010 to 2015, along with
Safety of road users including vehicle absolute values.
drivers, motorcyclists, pedestrians such as Table 1 Number of accidents between vehicles and
vehicles, and vehicles and pedestrians
horse riders and walkers has to be valued.
Year Vehicl Vehicles Vehicles and
The transportation system needs to be
es and pedestrians
designated by considering the safety system
and slowly
as a first priority. Proper road systems may
vehicl moving
reduce the accident rates together with
es vehicles
compensations and provide smooth
transportation system. 2015 7,138 1,489 2,817
In 2018, road traffic accidents in Myanmar 2014 5,677 846 2,468
caused about 10,540 deaths according to 2013 7,635 922 2,146
the reports of the World Health Organization. 2012 5,362 1,324 2,167
This report indicates that this is the second- 2011 3,939 1,054 2,105
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 2010 2,687 1,002 1,894 Another case to be concerned in Myanmar
[CITATION Mya17 \l 1033 ] is concrete blocks barriers which are placed
According to the table (1), the numbers of in between the two lanes and besides the
accident rises year by year. In order to lanes. These concrete blocks barriers are
minimize the accident rates, proper road installed by ex-director of construction of
systems, high standard types of equipment Myanmar with purposes to reduce the
and perfect pavement designs are death and injury rate of road users. It is, in
necessary. fact, making road users more unsafe.
3. Threats to road users According to reports, many road users had
Hazards can also interrupt the lost their lives and suffered fatal injuries due
transportation system such as climate to these concrete blocks barriers. Safe
hazards. Heavy rain or snow can interrupt transportation system means even if there
the sight of the road users. Vision becomes is a human error, the system has the power
the most vital aspect for road users as dust, to reduce the fatal injury rates and fatalities.
snow, fog, smoke, heavy rain, darkness There is no reason keeping these concrete
and dazzling daylight and glare lights from block barriers on the roads of Myanmar if
vehicles at night can disturb them. In cold one desire to create a safe transportation
regions of Myanmar, snow or heavy rain system.[ CITATION Dep19 \l 1033 ]
can concern the road users. Moreover, in
Myanmar, plenty of roads are lack of light
posts. At night, glare light from the
headlamp of vehicles can disturb the vision
of other road users. Providing anti-glare
panels at highways and main roads might
assist to reduce vision hazards.

Figure 1. Accident in highway road of

Myanmar taken from Myanmar Fire
Services Department

3.1. Footpaths
In Myanmar, facilities for pedestrians are
deficient. One can find the lack of footpaths
along the roads, insufficient zebra crossings
and insufficient road equipment.

Figure 2. Lamppost blocking a pedestrian

footway, photo taken by Thet Naing Htoo

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 4. Vision Zero
The details of Vision Zero on the move are
as follows;
(1) In certain accident, there will
be protections so that not a single
person will lose one`s life or get a
Figure 3. No footpath for pedestrians, photo taken by Thet
Naing Htoo fatal injury.
Footway should be higher than the (2) Occasionally even if people
pavement. No obstructions should exist perform errors, they cannot be taken
along the footway path. As shown in figure actions by death sentence.
3, there is no footpath and the trees are (3) Alternating peoples` bodies,
creating a narrow way for the pedestrians. resistance to outermost intense.
Footway for pedestrians should be created (4) Procedure in which each of
by moving the plants to somewhere safer. the constituents is well connected,
the plan and improvement of
automobiles and surroundings of the
road are synthesized by considering
the needs of human.
(5) Primary authority belongs to
procedure planners in which they
have to convey the safety
Figure 4. Zebra crossing, photo taken by responsibilities shared by the road
Thet Naing Htoo users to people who plan the
3.2. Disabled Access transportation procedure.[ CITATION
In designing the road, disable access plays Lyn10 \l 1033 ]. Effective strategy
an important role related to the safe system like Vision Zero needs to be
of the road. Touring in a specialized way is developed in Myanmar for the road
essential for people who possess disability safety system.
problems. For example, providing
wheelchair ways and disabled people being 4.1. Sustainable Safety
given priorities by non-disabled road users. Sustainable Safety, a new procedure
By upgrading the specialized touring initiated to solve the road safety issues in
system, discrepancy between disabled the Netherlands. It reduced half of the
people and other road users will be amount of death on-road and 40% of
minimized. As a result, there will be fewer injuries caused by road accidents from
frustrations for disabled people and safer 1986 to 2010. But in the early 1990s, there
roads. [CITATION Buy19 \l 1033 ] were uncertainties about achieving the
In Myanmar, there are few considerations goals. The spearhead strategies were not
for disabled road users. The road enough to tackle the issues even though
procedures should be adopted by installing they were helpful. Even though there were
disabled access considerations to achieve obviousness for general reductions in road
the perfect road procedure plan. For crashes, the classification of road crash
example, creating dropped kerbs from the points out the fundamentals of medicinal
footways to the road so that the disabled actions in order to minimize the huge
road users can cross the road. The dropped amount of inconsistency in deaths and
kerbs should be created with palpable severe injury measures on any grades of
paving for road users with a visual road. The case mentioned leads to the
impairment.
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"twin-pronged" strategy of the "third long- ITS plays an important role in minimizing
term road safety policy". Besides, the prior the rate of death and accidents. CCTVs,
refers to the modernization and reinforced sensors, hand-held navigation devices,
usage of the centre areas. The peripheral speed measuring devices, GPS trackers,
one at a preventative approach which is advanced traffic and pedestrian signals are
termed as “Sustainable Safety”. In some ITS devices which should be applied
designating the sustainable safety policy, it in Myanmar.
is carried out in two procedures, protective Road users who failed to obey the road
and enterprising strategy. Whilst, the regulations can be detected through CCTVs
spearhead program focuses on classifying on the road. For example, using mobiles
the problems after they occurred. Thus it is while driving, cycling or crossing the road.
obvious that the “Sustainable Safety” In certain places such as jammed areas or
program is better in a way that it carries out uncommon areas, hand-held navigation
with protection method which is the most device will help the users to avoid the
suitable for human beings. [ CITATION congestion and provide a way to their
Lyn10 \l 1033 ] destinations. Vehicles driving over a speed
limit will also be detected through speed
measuring devices. Sensors inside the
vehicles and infrastructure will detect the
4.2. Intelligent Transport System road situations steadily and help to
As a developing country, modern distinguish the conditions of roads. So, they
technologies and intelligent transport can be maintained in advance before they
systems are not applied in Myanmar due to lead to crushes and become worse which
economic problems. However, if one desire will further lead to expensive renovations.
to create a safe road system, advanced
road safety management is necessary. 5. Safety at Intersections
Applying modern technologies and ITS Intersections are the most dangerous
might make the road safety system of places where accidents are likely to be
Myanmar more efficient. For the road safety occurred. Installing suitable road safety
in Myanmar, the Advanced Warning signs, clear signals and proper geometrical
System (AWS) and Incident Management layout of the intersection are vital.
System (IMS) should be applied. The following processes are to be
The advanced warning system works in a implemented at uncontrolled junctions and
way that the driver will be notified about the intersections;
incoming possible accident if the  Follow the rules
congestion turns down the speed due to the  Ensure proper sight distance
environment of the carriageway. The  Reduce the speed
warning notification will be informed via the  Road safety signs such as “Reduce
advanced warning system as the speed now”
automobiles are getting closer. Thus the  Clear signals ahead
accidents on carriageway are obstructed.  Install proper intersection traffic
To alert incoming troubles on road, the control
incident management system provides real-
 Improve compliances by providing
time notification of congestion situations
ITS devices and road legislations.
through the variable message sign. It is a
For the signalized intersections and
board that gives the driver notifications
junctions;
about possible incoming threats.
 Improve the geometric environment
 Improve the sight distance
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  Improve traffic control poor application of material and no
 Improve diver compliance and maintenance. Early in 2019, a man died in
awareness an accident by hitting the guard rail beside
 Improve road safety with other the road.
aspects[ CITATION Adm19 \l 1033 ] Installing road signs at required places. For
example, warning sign for the railway road
6. Conclusion and Evaluation ahead. Additionally, road markings are also
This paper evaluates the requirements of vital. If they are faded, road users will
road safety system in Myanmar such as commit wrong decisions. The traffic signals
facilities for the pedestrians and applying and pedestrian signals should be placed
ITS on the roads. If one failed to fulfil simply and obviously. The road users might
requirements mentioned above, it is hard to be baffled if the signals are not simple
minimize the numbers of road crashes. (easily realize the signal to look and
Before getting down into considerations and decide) and distinct.
executions of road systems, it is Further studies
fundamental to construct the correct road In future, sustainable road system has to
system through the design stage. Without be applied such as ITS in Myanmar to
the correct road system, it is impossible to construct safer and advanced road
obtain safer roads and environments. In systems. Due to economical issues,
designing the road, there are few general advanced technologies are not widely used
facts to be considered. They are vertical in Myanmar. For instance, installing speed
and horizontal figure of roads, suitable road measuring devices on the road to detect
equipment, cross-sectional components, the over speed vehicles, CCTVs to check
design speed and safety at junctions and the drivers such as not wearing seat belts,
curves. The following facts are vital in using mobile phones while driving.
designing a safe road system. Moreover, a control centre with
 Sufficient off-set distance from the connections to CCTVs on the road, speed
objectives besides the road. measuring devices and navigation devices
 Enough overtaking sight distance are also necessary.
 On highway roads, broader lanes
widths and road shoulders. References
 Interior broadening for sharp curves.
 Broader elevated median in high-
speed roads to protect glare
 Recoverable slopes for out of control
vehicles
 Separated lanes for slowly moving
vehicles and horses
 Wide and raised footpath with no
obstructions along the footpath.
 Separated Lay bye for taxis, buses
and tricycles for smooth drop-offs and pick-
ups
 Applying protective road barriers;
they have to protect the road users, not to
harm them. [ CITATION Kap13 \l 1033 ]For
example, in Myanmar, the guard rails are
not performing so well. This is because of
5
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