Increasing Road Safety in Latin America and the Caribbean: Lessons from Behavioral Economics

Abstract

Road crashes are a significant public health issue in Latin America and the Caribbean, resulting in a staggering toll of approximately 110,000 fatalities and over 5 million injuries annually. These tragedies have far-reaching economic implications, costing Latin America and the Caribbean between 3 and 5 percent of its gross domestic product. A great many road crashes can be attributed to a variety of unsafe behaviors, such as distracted driving, speeding, and impairment from alcohol or drugs. Through an understanding of cognitive and social factors that influence such behaviors, behavioral sciences offer valuable insights for developing effective interventions and strategies to promote road safety. This report focuses on the behavioral and cognitive biases that make accidents so common in our region, on initiatives implemented around the world using behavioral insights that could be beneficial to the region, and on the behavioral interventions that have been implemented in Latin America and the Caribbean to increase road safety.