Tackling the Three Main Killers on the roads - A priority for the forthcoming EU Road Safety Action Programme Klaus Machata Austrian Road Safety

Transcription

1 Tackling the Three Main Killers on the roads - A priority for the forthcoming EU Road Safety Action Programme Klaus Machata Austrian Road Safety Board

2 Tackling the Three Main Killers... Speed, drink driving and non-use of seat belts remain the three main killers on EU roads. Experience from fast progressing countries shows that progress can be fast and save thousands of lives. Progress is possible also for already good performing countries

3 ... A priority More than 2,200 road deaths could be prevented each year if average driving speeds dropped by only 1km/h on all roads across the EU. If, as estimated by the EC, 25% of road deaths occur in drink driving accidents, then at least 7,500 deaths could have been prevented. As many as 12,400 occupants of light vehicles survived serious crashes in 2009 across the EU, because they wore a seat belt. Another 2,500 deaths could have been prevented if 99% of occupants had been wearing a seat belt, a rate that could be reached with seat belt reminders.

4 Progress in reducing speed Drivers have slowed down since 2001 Best progress has been made on motorways: around 30% of drivers exceed the speed limit on motorways But speed violations are still up to 70% on rural roads (in Demark and Poland) and as many as 80% on urban roads (Poland). France is the only country to have achieved reduction in mean speeds on all road types. Average speeds dropped by 10 km/h between following the implementation of a fully automated speed management and safety camera system as part of the strategy to end drivers impunity.

5 SPEED on MOTORWAYS (I) Yearly average % change in mean speeds of cars and vans on motorways 1.5% 1.0% 0.5% 0.0% Spain France Austria -0.5% -1.0% -1.5% Denmark Lithuania (110) -2.0% -2.5% From earliest available baseline to latest available year * All traffic ** Spain: measurements made on 20% of the toll motorways length only

6 SPEED on MOTORWAYS (II) % of cars and vans exceeding the speed limits on motorways 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% Denmark Spain AT 130 CH 120* CZ 130 DK 110 ES 120 FR 130 GB 113 IE 120 HU 130 LT 110* 10% 0% Czech Republic LT 130* NL 120 * All traffic

7 Speed on RURAL roads (I) Yearly average % change in mean speed of cars and vans on rural roads 1.0% 0.5% 0.0% France Belgium Ireland Czech Republic -0.5% -1.0% -1.5% Poland GB Estonia -2.0% From earliest available baseline to latest available year * All traffic

8 Speed on RURAL roads (II) % of cars and vans exceeding speed limits on rural roads 80 % 70 % 60 % 50 % 30 % 20 % 10 % 0 % Denmark Poland AT 100 BE 90 CH 80 * CZ 90 DK % EE 90 Austria on stretches limited to 100km/h France FI 100 FR 90 D GB 113 LT 90 PL 90 * * All traffic

9 Speed on URBAN roads Yearly average % change in mean speed of cars and vans on urban roads 1.0 % 0.5 % 0.0 % -0.5 % -1.0 % -1.5% Czech Rep. - 4% -2.0% Ireland - 2.5% -2.5% GB - 0.9% -3.0% Poland - 0.8% -3.5% Austria (30) - 0.5% -4.0% Austria (50) - 0.2% -4.5 % From earliest available baseline to latest available year * All traffic

10 Speed on URBAN roads (II) % of cars and vans exceeding speed limits on urban roads 90 % 80 % 70 % 60 % 50 % Austria on 30km/h streets Poland Ireland AT 30 CH 50 * CZ 50 FR % GB % 20 % 10 % 0 % Czech Republic GB 64 IE 50 PL 50 * * All traffic

11 Recommendations - Speed Key factors in achieving progress: automated speed enforcement (France, Spain,... ) stricter sanctions, penalty points (France, Spain, Czech Rep.,...) The EU should adopt the Cross Border Enforcement Directive to address speeding in the EU without delay Germany, Greece, Portugal, Slovakia do not monitor speeds which deprives them of important feedback on the effectiveness of their actions.

12 Progress in reducing Drink driving Difference between the average annual % reduction in deaths attributed to alcohol and the corresponding reduction for other deaths (over ) 15% 10% 5% 0% -5% -10% -15% Czech Rep. Slovakia Bulgaria Belgium Spain Italy Portugal Romania Estonia Finland EU-27

13 Recommendations - Drink driving Member States should increase the number of alcohol checks. Drivers stopped by traffic police in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Lithuania, Austria, Cyprus, Hungary, Czech Republic and Ireland are systematically breath-tested. Member States should take measures to tackle the high rate of underreporting of drink driving deaths The EU should promote consistent and visible enforcement as powerful deterrent to drink driving The EU should adopt a 0.2 g/l BAC limit for commercial and novice drivers. The EU should support the introduction of alcolocks.

14 Seat belt use in FRONT seats EU av. 89% 100% 95% % 85% EU-27 in 2009 EU-27 in % 75% 70% 65% 60% Italy 65% Greece 75% Belgium 80% Austria 87% France Germany > 95% Sweden

15 Seat belt use REAR seats Big disparities! EU av. 72% only 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% EU-27 in 2009 EU-27 in 2005 Germany 88% UK 89% Sweden 80% Austria 65% Portugal 49% Greece 23% Belgium? Bulgaria? Romania?

16 Recommendations - Seat belt To Member States: Increase enforcement of seat belt use in both front and rear seats. Each driver stopped for whatever reason should be checked for seat belt wearing, as well as any passengers. Incorporate non-wearing of seat belt as an offence in penalty point systems. To the EU: Adopt legislation to ensure that every new car has as standard equipment enhanced seat belt reminders for all seats.

17 Summing up Member States and the EU in its 4 th ERSAP should be prioritising road safety measures tackling the three main killers on the roads: Speeding Speeding Drink driving Non-use of seat belts