Studying abroad is a priceless experience that many students at UK get to enjoy. Most people take into account a number of risks that can accompany a study abroad experience, but road conditions are often underestimated, even though according to the State Department (as cited in a New York Times article), road crashes are the top killer of healthy Americans who travel abroad.

Also cited in the article, the World Health Organization found that about 90 percent of the globe’s road traffic deaths occur in developing countries, which are increasingly destinations of study abroad participants. The number of American students who study abroad continues to grow, with the number studying in non-European countries nearly doubling to 118,625 in the last decade according to the Institute of International Education.

What makes road conditions in developing countries so different is not hard to guess. Poor roads and infrastructure, lax traffic laws, old, unsafe vehicles and poorly trained drivers all contribute to making road travel in these countries so dangerous. And yet students don’t seem to realize that these conditions can have a major impact. What might start as a small swerve could turn into a nasty accident, leaving those involved seriously injured or even dead.

“The problem is educating students in something they are not used to thinking about,” said Inés DeRomaña in the article. As the director of international health, safety and emergency response for the University of California’s Education Abroad Program, DeRomaña is concerned by the disregard for these risks by students and some universities.

Many universities have responded by better preparing students for study abroad in these areas. Two parents who lost children in non-road related study abroad accidents started the site, ProtectStudentsAbroad, which aims to help prospective students and families obtain the safety record of study abroad programs. But despite the resources available, the best protector for study abroad is being prepared, aware and responsible. 

See the full article by the New York Times here.