Skip to main content

Safety on the New Silk Road in Kazakhstan

Safety on the New Silk Graduates of the IRF Fellowship Program have contributed to a landmark study produced by the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) aimed at minimising the socio-economic costs of road accidents in Kazakhstan. Asia’s infrastructure push offers opportunities to minimise road crashes, which cost many developing countries 2-5% of GDP each year. To help set priorities that address connectivity and safety, this study analysed 13,000km of highways, or 13.4% of the Kazakhstan
October 23, 2017 Read time: 1 min

Graduates of the 2462 IRF Fellowship Program have contributed to a landmark study produced by the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) aimed at minimising the socio-economic costs of road accidents in Kazakhstan.

Asia’s infrastructure push offers opportunities to minimise road crashes, which cost many developing countries 2-5% of GDP each year. To help set priorities that address connectivity and safety, this study analysed 13,000km of highways, or 13.4% of the Kazakhstan highway network. Within this sample, most roads were undivided with two lanes and rated below "good" condition. Most crashes were found to be related to infrastructure deficiencies and non-compliance of the drivers to traffic rules and regulations. A series of maps identifies priority areas for improvement. Building on this analysis and a review of best practices, cost-effective infrastructure measures are recommended for improving connectivity and road safety.

Related Content

  • Young motorcycle riders at most risk in Europe
    January 20, 2017
    Young powered two wheelers are most at risk of crashing. That is the key finding of a recent report into powered two wheeler crashes in Europe. The analysis of 9,186 crashes where a motorcyclist was severely injured, shows that specifically young, male riders face a significant risk to become a road traffic victim. The European Commission recently published the ‘Study on serious road traffic injuries in the EU’ to collate data that could in the future prevent serious road traffic injuries. The aim was to
  • WheelRight’s John Catling says put the brakes on under-inflation
    September 30, 2016
    It’s official – Britain’s tyres are unloved and under-inflated, according to recent research. But WheelRight’s chief executive, John Catling, believes that the research results are indicative of a global problem.
  • Speed management on freeways
    June 22, 2012
    Characteristics of traffic speed and flow in managed freeways - *Dr Adrian Withill. In order to maximise the benefits of existing infrastructure, in terms of reduced delays and increased safety, many governments have recently been introducing projects that measure traffic speed and flow and automatically introduce advisory or mandatory speed limits. Such schemes tend to offer relatively quick wins at relatively lower capital costs than traditional highway construction. In light of the current world economy,
  • Linking Kenya and Uganda with a new road project
    May 10, 2018
    An upgraded road link will improve transport between Uganda and Kenya - Shem Oirere reports Rainfall patterns and type of soil in an agricultural rich area shared by the neighbouring East African countries of Kenya and Uganda was a key consideration in arriving at the decision to upgrade to bitumen standards 73km of the 118km Kapchorwa-Kitale road that links the two countries. Initially, Uganda had proposed to have the road between Kapchorwa and Suam on its border with Kenya re-gravelled and widened to a