ChinaRAP assessments are helping to guide planning for a ¥2.2 billion (US$373 million) investment in rural roads in the Qinba Mountains area of Shaanxi Province.
The ChinaRAP team examined more than 1,000km of roads targeted for improvement by the Government of China and the Asian Development Bank.
The assessments found that much of the road safety risk on the single-lane, undivided road network stems from the fact that more than two thirds of the roads are curved and many of the roadsides have hazards such as cliffs, steep drains and aggressive vertical faces.
An initial safety plan for around 200km of the main trunk roads identified opportunities to save more than 1,000 fatalities and serious injuries over 20 years, representing a reduction of almost 40% compared to current rates.
The ChinaRAP assessments were supported by the Global Road Safety Facility and Bloomberg Philanthropies.