Reviews in Road Traffic Injury Prevention and Control

Road traffic injuries continue to be a pressing global public health concern, causing significant loss of life, disability, and economic burden. They are a leading cause of death in children and young adults, with low- and middle-income countries being disproportionally affected. Non-fatal road traffic injuries are a major cause of disability, affecting millions of people every year. Further, when considering treatment costs, time taken off from work, and other expenses, road traffic injuries cause substantial financial loss, costing most countries 3% or more of their gross domestic product.

To address this critical issue, Frontiers in Public Health is pleased to announce a Research Topic dedicated to comprehensive reviews in the field of road traffic injury prevention and control. This special issue aims to provide an extensive and intensive compilation of critical reviews that summarize state-of-the-art knowledge, identify research gaps, and propose recommendations for future research and practice.

We encourage authors to submit reviews that cover a wide range of topics related to road traffic injuries, including but not limited to:

• theoretical perspectives about the mechanism of road traffic injury occurrence, prevention, and control

• severity and trends: analyzing the global burden of road traffic injuries, patterns, and trends across different populations and regions, particularly for vulnerable road users like pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists

• protective and risk factors: examining the role of influencing factors of road traffic injuries, including social determinants, environmental factors, engineering factors, and human behaviors

• interventions and policies: evaluating the effectiveness of various road safety interventions, strategies, and policies aimed at preventing road traffic injuries, such as infrastructure improvements, traffic regulations, educational campaigns, and enforcement measures

• technical innovation: reviewing the latest advancements in vehicle safety technologies, intelligent transportation systems, and innovative approaches to improve road safety and reduce the severity of injuries in the event of a crash

• pre-hospital medical aid and trauma care: evaluating the current state of pre-hospital medical care, emergency response systems, trauma care protocols, and rehabilitation services, with a focus on identifying gaps and areas for improvement.

Keywords: Injury prevention and control; road traffic; road safety; driver behavior; drunk driving; speeding; collision; emergency management; technical innovation; intervention; policy

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.