Primary prevention of traffic accidents:: Driver training and traffic safety campaigns

Chile has one of the lowest traffic accident rates in Latin America, but still five times higher than those of developed countries, with 52,166 persons involved and 1,955 deaths in 1999. The present review proposes two possible ways to prevent traffic accidents: driver training and generalized road safety campaigns. The literature concerning driver training models is scarce and it is focused in the young (18-25 years old) and the elderly (65 and more). In Chile training for professional drivers is now Compulsory. Traffic safety campaigns complement such actions as driver training and should be based upon scientific psychological knowledge and the use of mass media. Various actions are recommended for driver training and campaign development.