Decade of Monitoring Road Safety Performance Indicators in the Republic of Serbia (2013–2022) – Lessons That We Learned

https://doi.org/10.7307/ptt.v38i6.3142
road safety performance indicators traffic crashes monitoring road safety protective systems panel data

Authors

  • Dalibor PEŠIĆ Department of Traffic Safety and Road Vehicles, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
  • Krsto LIPOVAC Department of Traffic Safety, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
  • Boris ANTIĆ Department of Traffic Safety, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
  • Jelica ŠĆEKIĆ Department of Traffic Safety and Road Vehicles, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
  • Nenad MARKOVIĆ Department of Traffic Safety and Road Vehicles, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
  • Emir SMAILOVIĆ Department of Traffic Safety and Road Vehicles, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
  • Radomir M. MIJAILOVIĆ Department of Traffic Safety and Road Vehicles, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
  • Đorđe PETROVIĆ Department f of Traffic Safety and Road Vehicles, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
  • Filip FILIPOVIĆ
    f.filipovic@sf.bg.ac.rs
    University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia 10 jana.pesic@live.com, Belgrade Land Development Public Agency (Beoland), Belgrade, Serbia
  • Andrijana PEŠIĆ Belgrade Land Development Public Agency (Beoland), Belgrade, Serbia
  • Bojana MILJKOVIĆ Road Traffic Safety Agency of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
  • Mladen KOVAČ Road Traffic Safety Agency of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
Vol. 38 No. 6 (2026)
Articles

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Road safety performance indicators (RSPI) provide essential insight into traffic safety beyond crash statistics, enabling a better understanding of risk factors and policy impacts. In this sense, it is important to determine how RSPIs are related to the outcomes of traffic crashes. This point was the aim of this research, which used data from the ten-year experience of monitoring RSPI in Serbia. Monitoring of road safety performance indicators began in 2013 at the level of 27 police administration units. The relationship between RSPI and the outcomes of traffic crashes was investigated by applying fixed-effects regressions and Mundlak correlated random-effects models for panel data. Results showed that the most significant relationships were observed in the RSPI of protective systems in vehicles (seatbelts, child restraint systems and helmets) and speeding in urban areas. On the other side, speed-related indicators in rural areas and indicators related to distraction had weaker associations with the outcomes of traffic crashes. The set of constructs obtained from observed RSPI explained around 37% of the variability in the total weighted number of traffic crash casualties, highlighting the need to include indicators from all other groups. The findings highlight the methodological and policy value of sustained RSPI monitoring and suggest improvements in indicator design, especially for vulnerable road users, distraction and emerging mobility modes. Finally, the study’s results confirm the importance of monitoring and incorporating indicators from all groups to describe the road safety situation in a local entity accurately.

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