Paving the pathways to change: the politics of road safety in Bogotá

Bogotá is the capital and financial centre of Colombia. It has a population of 8 million people. Between 1996 and 2006, the city of Bogotá reduced its traffic fatality rate by more than 60%. Since then it has remained constant, an achievement given the climbing fatality rate nationally. The 1996–2006 drop in fatalities most profoundly affected motor vehicle occupants, likely related to a combination of education, infrastructure and enforcement policies and programmes with road safety indicators as part of their implementation. There is still a great need for attention to the safety of vulnerable road users, who are affected by difficult conditions in terms of road safety: there are approximately 15 million trips a day in Bogotá, with most people walking or travelling by bus, and an increasing number travelling by motorcycle.