Don't worry about the water; worry about the open road

You're more likely to be injured in an accident than catch an exotic illness when vacationing abroad.

DISEASES associated with travel — SARS, bird flu, malaria — grab most of the media attention and can trigger anxiety.

But did you know a road accident is more likely to hurt you, especially if you are traveling in a developing country? That's true whether you are the driver, the occupant or even a pedestrian.

Worldwide, about 1.17 million people die each year in road accidents, according to the U.S. State Department. That includes about 200 U.S. citizens killed in such accidents abroad. About 70% of the deaths occur in developing nations; 65% involve pedestrians.

About 50 million more people worldwide are injured every year in road accidents, reports the World Health Organization.

Road accidents are the biggest overlooked travel health risk, says Dr. Brian Terry, a Pasadena travel medicine specialist. Many travelers he sees often don't even consider road risks in their preparation for overseas travel, although they ask many questions about immunizations and other health hazards.

That may be because the vacation mentality is at work.

"People get into cabs [on vacation] and don't fasten their seat belts, if there is a seat belt," Terry says. And sometimes, "they are too shy to tell the driver to slow down."

Speak up, he tells travelers — even if you don't speak the language. Besides communicating clearly with cab drivers, travelers can arm themselves with information about which destinations are risky and what can be done to reduce those risks, whether their destination is Africa or Turkey or Baja, Mexico.

Extensive road safety information is offered by the State Department, WHO, the Automobile Club of Southern California and the Assn. for Safe International Road Travel, an organization that works to improve conditions worldwide.

Rochelle Sobel founded the Assn. for Safe International Road Travel, http://www.asirt.org , in 1995 after her 25-year-old son, Aron, was one of 22 passengers killed in a bus crash in Turkey.

The association sells reports ($30 each) for 150 countries that detail road conditions, information to help you decide whether to drive yourself and the primary dangers you might encounter.

"In some countries, including Mexico, some drivers don't use their headlights at night because they are afraid of running down the battery or the headlights don't work," says Bonnie Ramsey, a researcher at the organization.

Also covered are driving regulations, such as how old a child should be (or how tall or how much he must weigh) before being allowed to sit in the front seat. Seasonal driving conditions are covered, and suggested precautions are listed.

Certain destinations — Latin and South America, Egypt, Kenya and India — demand extra caution because of the high rate of accidents, says Cathy Silberman, executive director of the association.

The State Department website, travel.state.gov/travel/tips/tips_1232.html (click on Safety Issues and Road Safety Overseas) offers tips for driving or traveling overseas and provides country-specific links for further information.

WHO offers information on road safety at its website, http://www.who.int/features/2004/road_safety/en .

Paying attention to five factors — speed, alcohol consumption, seat belts, helmet use and visibility — can greatly reduce risk of accidents, WHO says.

If you're bound for Baja, says Dave Brackney, a travel writer for the Automobile Club of Southern California, "The first and most important thing to know is [that] your insurance policy for driving in the U.S. is invalid in Mexico."

You can purchase a separate policy for various time periods, even a day, he says, from the auto club, http://www.aaa-calif.com , or other providers.

The major metropolitan areas in Baja are the most dangerous, says Brackney. U.S. drivers, he says, find the congestion and the somewhat frenetic style of driving in Baja's cities difficult.