Background Limited budget in road safety projects generate a need to seek alternative funding for road safety with such mechanism which enable to achieve expected outcomes of road safety programmes without giving additional costs to government and tax payers.

Methods The research strategy is exploratory of a number of documents which related with road safety programmes, road financing, road safety financing, and social investments.

Results Managing funding in road safety using business-like approach rather than a government’s social responsibility is considered as second generation of road funds (Robinson, 2008; Brushett, 2005). There could be commercial style road safety organisation/council/committee with strong public support for better road safety management and affordable road financing (Heggie, 2003). Road safety could be improve significantly if the interventions are carried out since preventive area. Preventive area is mostly seen as a public good. To make preventive area attractive to private sectors is to see preventive area as a merit good. The interventions are intended to improve safety level in an area of high social need and supported by evidence of efficacy. Impacts of interventions could be measured accurately. There is a saving, particularly for government, because of lower cost of the interventions and transactions.

Conclusions The effective funding for road safety is affected by timing of the interventions. Interventions which are conducted at prevention stage will give great impacts, comparing with other stage of road safety. Thus, funding which intended for this stage will give effective results. Beside of timing, funding mechanism should consider involvement of private sectors with outcome orientation.