ROAD SAFETY COUNTRY PROFILE

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Costa Rica

Latin America & the Caribbean

Costa Rica's Road Safety Country Profile

This road safety country data presents information on all pillars of road safety (management, roads, speed, vehicles, road users, and post-crash care), along with information on the current status for each country and region along with extensive information on key risk factors, issues and opportunities.

THE SCALE OF THE ROAD SAFETY CHALLENGE Ref: 1,2,3,4,5

  • 75%

    Percentage of Road Crash Fatalities and Injuries in the economically productive age groups (15 - 64 years.)

  • 3:1

    Ratio of Male to Female Fatalities with the 15 - 49 year age group being most vulnerable to fatalities.

  • 794 life yrs.

    affected due to disability from road crash injuries per 100,000 people.

  • Road crash fatalities and injuries snapshot
    Country Population, 2016: 4,857,274
    Country Reported Fatalities, 2016: 795
    WHO Estimated Fatalities, 2016: 812
    GBD Estimated Fatalities, 2016: 778
    WHO Est. Fatalities per 100,000 Pop., 2016: 16.7
    Estimated Serious Injuries, 2016: 12,180
    Cost of Fatalities and Serious Injuries, 2016: $3,150 million
    Cost as % of country GDP, 2016: 5.5%
Positioning of Country in Region (Compared to Countries with the Lowest Traffic Fatalities in the Region and Globally)
2016 WHO Estimated Road Fatalities 2016 GBD Estimated Road Fatalities 2016 WHO Estimated Fatality Rate/100,000 pop. 2016 GBD Estimated Fatality Rate/ 100,000 pop. % Trend in Fatality Rate/100,000 (2013-2016) Motorization Registered Vehicles/100,000 pop.
Costa Rica 812 778 16.7 16.84 10.4% 40,998
BEST PERFORMING COUNTRIES IN REGION
Cuba 975 1,124 8.5 9.86 4.9% 5,519
Grenada 10 12 9.3 10.65 4.5% 25,407
BEST PERFORMING COUNTRIES GLOBALLY
Switzerland 223 334 2.65 3.89 -5.4% 71,182
Singapore 155 197 2.76 3.53 -4.9% 16,604
Norway 143 215 2.72 4.09 2.4% 75,544
Sweden 278 390 2.83 3.88 -3.2% 62,037
2016 WHO Estimated Road Fatalities
Costa Rica 812
BEST PERFORMING COUNTRIES IN REGION
Cuba 975
Grenada 10
BEST PERFORMING COUNTRIES GLOBALLY
Switzerland 223
Singapore 155
Norway 143
Sweden 278
2016 GBD Estimated Road Fatalities
Costa Rica 778
BEST PERFORMING COUNTRIES IN REGION
Cuba 1,124
Grenada 12
BEST PERFORMING COUNTRIES GLOBALLY
Switzerland 334
Singapore 197
Norway 215
Sweden 390
2016 WHO Estimated Fatality Rate/100,000 pop.
Costa Rica 16.7
BEST PERFORMING COUNTRIES IN REGION
Cuba 8.5
Grenada 9.3
BEST PERFORMING COUNTRIES GLOBALLY
Switzerland 2.65
Singapore 2.76
Norway 2.72
Sweden 2.83
2016 GBD Estimated Road Fatalities
Costa Rica 16.84
BEST PERFORMING COUNTRIES IN REGION
Cuba 9.86
Grenada 10.65
BEST PERFORMING COUNTRIES GLOBALLY
Switzerland 3.89
Singapore 3.53
Norway 4.09
Sweden 3.88
2016 GBD Estimated Road Fatalities
Costa Rica 10.4%
BEST PERFORMING COUNTRIES IN REGION
Cuba 4.9%
Grenada 4.5%
BEST PERFORMING COUNTRIES GLOBALLY
Switzerland -5.4%
Singapore -4.9%
Norway 2.4%
Sweden -3.2%
2016 GBD Estimated Road Fatalities
Costa Rica 40,998
BEST PERFORMING COUNTRIES IN REGION
Cuba 5,519
Grenada 25,407
BEST PERFORMING COUNTRIES GLOBALLY
Switzerland 71,182
Singapore 16,604
Norway 75,544
Sweden 62,037
Ⅰ. ROAD SAFETY MANAGEMENT Ref: 1
To produce positive road safety outcomes, strong management in all aspects of road safety is key. Presence of a funded lead agency to guide the national road safety effort and implement a Safe Systems approach is recommended.
Costa Rica has a lead agency present, Road Safety Council (COSEVI), Ministry of Public Works and Transportation, which isn't funded in the national budget but has a road safety strategy which is fully funded. The functions of the agency include coordination, legislation and monitoring and evaluation of road safety strategies. The country only has a fatal road safety target, to reduce fatalities by 20% with a timeline of 2016 - 2020.
Ⅱ. SAFE ROADS AND ROADSIDES Ref: 1,4
Business Case for Safer Roads
Infrastructure and Speed Management Investment required: $1.27 billion
Annual Investment as a % of GDP (2019-2030): 0.17%
Reduction in fatalities per year: 249
Approximate reduction in fatalities and serious injuries (FSI) over 20 years: 50,000
Economic Benefit: $10.07 billion
B/C Ratio: 8
Ⅲ. SAFE SPEEDS Ref: 1,6,7,8
  • Maximum Speed Limits and Enforcement
    National Speed Limit
    Speed Enforcement Manual
    National Speed Limit
    Speed Enforcement Manual
URBAN ROADS RURAL ROADS MOTORWAYS
Current Speed Limit 50 km/h 60 km/h -
Difference with Recomended Safe System Speed +20 km/h Appropriate -
Potential Decrease in Fatal Road Crashes from Enforcement of Safe System Speed Limits 4 times lower Low Risk -
URBAN ROADS
Current Speed Limit 50 km/h
Difference with Recomended Safe System Speed +20 km/h
Potential Decrease in Fatal Road Crashes from Enforcement of Safe System Speed Limits 4 times lower
RURAL ROADS
Current Speed Limit 60 km/h
Difference with Recomended Safe System Speed Appropriate
Potential Decrease in Fatal Road Crashes from Enforcement of Safe System Speed Limits Low Risk
MOTORWAYS
Current Speed Limit -
Difference with Recomended Safe System Speed -
Potential Decrease in Fatal Road Crashes from Enforcement of Safe System Speed Limits -
Major Speed Calming Measures Being Implemented
Narrowing Horizontal Deflections
Include lane narrowings by extending sidewalks, curb extensions, pedestrian refuges etc. Used to make vehicles swerve slightly, include chicanes, pedesrian refuges, chokers etc.
Vertical Deflections Block or Restrict Access
Include speed bumps, humps, cushions, tables, raised pedestrian crossing, variation in ride surface etc. Include median diverters, closing streets to create pedestrian zones,cul-de-sacs etc.
Narrowing
Include lane narrowings by extending sidewalks, curb extensions, pedestrian refuges etc.
Horizontal Deflections
Used to make vehicles swerve slightly, include chicanes, pedesrian refuges, chokers etc.
Vertical Deflections
Include speed bumps, humps, cushions, tables, raised pedestrian crossing, variation in ride surface etc.
Block or Restrict Access
Include median diverters, closing streets to create pedestrian zones,cul-de-sacs etc.
Ⅳ. SAFE VEHICLES Ref: 1,8

  • 1,991,398

    total registered vehicles as of 2016

  • 0.3%

    motorized 2/3 wheelers as of 2016

Country Compliance to the UN Vehicle Safety Regulations
Frontal and Side Impact (Reg. 94, 95) No Restrictions Regulation of Import of Used Vehicles
Motorcycle Anti-Lock Braking System (Reg. 78) No Import Age Limit
Pedestrian Protection (Reg. 127) No Taxation Based Limits
Electronic Stability Control (Reg. 140) No Import Inspections
Seat Belts and Anchorages (Reg. 16, 14) No Periodic Inspection
Frontal and Side Impact (Reg. 94, 95)
Motorcycle Anti-Lock Braking System (Reg. 78)
Pedestrian Protection (Reg. 127)
Electronic Stability Control (Reg. 140)
Seat Belts and Anchorages (Reg. 16, 14)
No Restrictions Regulation of Import of Used Vehicles
No Import Age Limit
No Taxation Based Limits
No Import Inspections
No Periodic Inspection
Ⅴ. SAFE ROAD USERS Ref: 1,8
National Seatbelt, Drink Driving and Helmet Laws (WHO, 2016)
National Seatbelt Law Motorcycle Occupant Age Restriction: Prohibited under 5 yrs
Driver Legal Minimum Driving Age: 18 yrs.
Front National Drink Driving Law
Back Is Law BAC Based?
Motorcycle Helmet Law Random Drink Driving Tests
Helmet Standards % of Road Crach Fatalities Involving Alcohol: 31.2%
National Seatbelt Law
Driver
Front
Back
Motorcycle Helmet Law
Helmet Standards
Motorcycle Occupant Age Restriction: Prohibited under 5 yrs
Legal Minimum Driving Age: 18 yrs.
National Drink Driving Law
Is Law BAC Based?
Random Drink Driving Tests
% of Road Crach Fatalities Involving Alcohol: 312
  • Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Limits (g/dl)
    General Population ≤0.05
    Young Drivers ≤0.02
    Professional Drivers ≤0.02
    General Population ≤0.05
    Young Drivers ≤0.02
    Professional Drivers ≤0.02
Ⅵ. POST CRASH CARE Ref: 1,8,9

  • Good post-crash care reduces deaths and reduces disability and suffering for road crash survivors. The emergency medical care system elements and processes need to be effective to attain this objective.

  • National Emergency Care Access Number: National, Single Number
    Traume Registry System: Some Facilities
    Country Health Coverage Index - SDG Target 3.8; Target - 100: 75
    Expenditure on Healthcare as % of GDP: 8%
REFERENCES
  1. Global Status Report on Road Safety 2018. World Health Organization;
  2. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). GBD Results Tool. Seattle, WA: IHME, University of Washington, 2015;
  3. Serious injuries have been calculated assuming a ratio of 15:1 (15 serious injuries for every death). This estimation broadly falls in the range of 30:1 in high income countries to 10:1 in low- and middle-income countries as crashes tend to be more fatal in the later context.
  4. Vaccines for Roads, International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP). Available from https://www.vaccinesforroads.org/;
  5. World Bank Databank for Development Indicators;
  6. M.H. Cameron, R. Elvik. 2010. Nilsson's Power Model connecting speed and road trauma;
  7. Austroads. Balance between harm reduction and mobility in setting speed limits;
  8. UNEP-ITC Background Paper on Used Vehicles Globally and Various Media Sources (Wikipedia and vehicle import websites);
  9. 2018 World Health Statistics, WHO.

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