ROAD SAFETY ANNUAL REPORT 2018 HUNGARY

ROAD SAFETY ANNUAL REPORT 2018 HUNGARY

HUNGARY Hungary recorded 625 road fatalities in 2017, representing a 3% increase when compared to 2016. The mortality rate is 6.2 deaths per 100 000 population. From 2013 onwards the number of road fatalities has stagnated, while the number of personal injury crashes has kept increasing. The number of road fatalities decreased by 40% between 2001 and 2010, but only by 2.2% between 2011 and 2017. The percentage of alcoholrelated injury crashes was 8.5% in 2017, the lowest value in the last decade. A new road safety action programme for the period up to 2020 is under preparation. Trends Hungary registered an increase in the number of road deaths in 2017; 625 persons lost their lives in traffic crashes in Hungary in 2017. This represents a 3% increase on 2016. In 2016, 607 road deaths were reported, a 5.7% decrease on 2015. The longer-term trend for road deaths in Hungary has been positive. Between 1990 and 2017, the number of annual road fatalities fell by 74%. In particular, the Country Profile Population in 2016: 9.8 million GDP per capita in 2016: USD 12 799 Cost of road crashes: 2.5% of GDP (2017) Road network in 2016: 206 585 kilometres (urban roads 31%; rural roads 62%; motorways 1%) Registered motor vehicles in 2016: 4.0 million (cars 82%; goods vehicles 11.5%; motorcycles 4%) Speed limits: 50 km/h on urban roads; 90 km/h on rural roads; 130 km/h on motorways (110 km/h on motor roads) Limits on Blood Alcohol Content: 0.0 g/l number of road deaths declined sharply by 54% between 2006 and 2013, when it reached its lowest level in 50 years. Since 2013, the number of road deaths has slightly increased and levelled out at around 625 road deaths. The number of traffic deaths per 100 000 inhabitants in Hungary fell by 74% between 1990 and 2017. In 2017, 6.2 traffic deaths per 100 000 inhabitants were recorded, compared to 23.4 in 1990. Based on this indicator, Hungary ranks 24 th out of the 32 IRTAD countries with validated data The fatality rate, measured as traffic deaths per 10 000 registered motor vehicles, stood at 1.5 in 2016. This represents a decrease of 87% compared to the year 1990, when the rate of deaths to registered vehicles stood at 11.2. The fatality risk has therefore been divided by more than 7. However, it is still relatively high compared to most IRTAD countries. INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT FORUM/OECD 2

Figure 1. Road safety, vehicle stock and GDP trends Index 1990 = 100 Note: registered vehicles do not include mopeds. The picture for fatalities by road user group shows that in 2016 car occupants accounted for the largest share of road deaths with 44% of the total. They were followed by pedestrians (25%), cyclists (12%), motorcyclists (8%) and moped riders (3%). One of the main changes since 2000 was the growing share of motorcyclists in the number of road deaths. Although they still represent a relative low share of total deaths, this share doubled from 4% in 2000 to almost 10% in 2013. However, since 2013, the number of motorcyclists killed in traffic has declined every year. In 2016, while the overall number of road deaths decreased by 5.7%, a small increase was observed in the number of pedestrians killed, with 3 more deaths than in 2015. The number of road deaths decreased for all other user groups with the largest reduction (11 fewer deaths in 2016 compared to 2015) for moped riders, followed by cyclists (10 fewer deaths). The long-term trend shows that traffic in Hungary has become safer for all road user groups but to a lesser extent for motorcyclists. Since 2000, the number of road deaths has halved or nearly halved for all roads users, with the exception of motorcyclists, for which it has only decreased by 8%. The slower performance for motorcyclists is partly explained by the increase in the motorcycle fleet which during the same period nearly doubled. INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT FORUM/OECD 3

Figure 2. Road fatalities by road user group in percentage of total, 2016 In comparison to 2015, road deaths decreased or stabilised for all age groups in 2016, with the exception of the group aged 65 and above, for whom the number of fatalities increased by 11% from 144 in 2015 to 159 in 2016. The largest decrease concerned young people aged 18-20 for whom the number of fatalities nearly halved from 24 in 2015 to 13 in 2016. Looking at the longer-term trend, road safety has improved for all age groups, but to a much lesser extent for those aged 65 and above, for whom the number of road deaths decreased by 22% between 2000 and 2016. The number of road fatalities decreased by more than 70% for children up to age 14 and young people aged 18-24 since 2000. The older population have a higher risk in traffic than the other age groups. In 2016, the mortality rate of the over-65 age group was 8.9 road deaths per 100 000 inhabitants of the same age, while the average was 6.2. Compared to other IRTAD countries, there is less dispersion in the mortality rate by age group, and the mortality rate of young people, traditionally at high risk in traffic, is below the national average (2.7 road deaths per 100 000 population for 15-17 year-olds and 3.9 for the 18-20 age group). The mortality rate is slightly higher than average for 21-24 year-olds. The relatively low risk for the younger population could be explained by intensive road safety education targeted at this group. INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT FORUM/OECD 4

Figure 3. Road fatality rates by age group, 1990-2016 Deaths per 100 000 population in a given age group Analysis of fatalities by road type shows that in 2016 the reduction in road deaths mainly occurred on urban roads. The number of road deaths decreased by 14% on urban roads, while it did not change on rural roads and increased by 8% on motorways. Still the rural network is deadliest, as it counts for 57% of all road deaths. Since 1990, road safety improvements have benefited all roads, with most progress seen on roads in urban areas. Figure 4. Road fatalities by road type Fatality data are essential to understand road safety issues, but hardly sufficient. Information on serious injuries from crashes is also critically important. However, there is not yet a consistent set of data on people seriously injured to undertake in-depth analysis. Hungary is currently working to fulfil the EU requirement to collect injury data INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT FORUM/OECD 5

based on the Maximum Abbreviated Injury Score of 3 or more (MAIS3+). A first set of MAIS3+ data will be available in the future. Economic costs of road crashes Traffic crashes represent a significant cost for society. In 2013, it was estimated at around EUR 1.88 billion, or 1.8% of GDP. This estimation was calculated using both a willingness to pay and a human capital approach, based on a methodology by McMahon and Dahdah (2008) on calculating the statistical value of a road fatality and a person seriously injured. This estimation was updated in 2017 based on the methodology developed for the European Safety Cube project (Wijnen et al., 2017). According to this methodology, the total cost of road crashes is equivalent to 2.5% of GDP. Table 1. Costs of road crash injuries, 2017 (based on the SafetyCube methodology) Unit cost [HUF] Total cost Fatalities Seriously injured persons 273.3 million 66.4 million Total as % of GDP 2.5% Behaviour The behaviour of road users is an important determinant of a country s road safety performance. According to on-site police investigations, speeding is a contributing factor in about 40% of fatal crashes. In order to intensify speed enforcement, automatic speed cameras are being introduced. As of September 2016, 365 fixed and 160 mobile intelligent cameras ( VÉDA ) were installed. It was expected that these devices would also be able to monitor other offences (e.g. red light running, non-wearing of seat belts, use of hand-held mobile phones, etc.), but it is still not the case. It is also planned to use motorway tolling systems as section control devices. Table 2. Passenger car speed limits by road type, 2018 General speed limit Urban roads Rural roads Motorways 50 km/h 90 km/h 130 km/h 110 km/h on motor roads INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT FORUM/OECD 6

Driving under the influence of alcohol is another cause of road crashes in Hungary. In 2017, police reported that 8.5% of all injury crashes were caused by a driver under the influence of alcohol. This proportion is the lowest in the past decade. In Hungary, drivers are forbidden to drive under the influence of alcohol. The theoretical maximum blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.0 g/l. In practice, drivers are convicted only if their BAC is above 0.2 g/l. However, the law was temporarily softened in July 2011 and a driving licence could be withdrawn on the spot only when the driver was seriously under the influence of alcohol. Now, the zero tolerance has been reintroduced. It means that driving licences can be withdrawn on the spot if the driver has any alcohol in his/her blood. In Hungary, all persons involved in a road crash are tested for their blood alcohol concentration. A crash is recorded as alcohol related when the person responsible for the crash is under the influence of alcohol. Driving under the influence of drugs is defined in the Act of Criminal Code and is listed among the potential crash contributing factors in accident forms. Unlike alcohol, there is no per se limit regarding drug consumption. Saliva tests are not yet in use in Hungary, which makes drug driving enforcement very difficult. Drivers may be tested (from blood or urine samples) when they are suspected of impairment and when the alcohol test is negative. This happens very rarely and no random testing is being carried out, partly due to the costs of toxicology tests. Therefore, statistics on drug-driving fatalities are not representative of the reality. In 2016, driving under the influence of drugs was reported as a contributing factor in 57 injury crashes, of which 8 were fatal. In 2017, the number of alcohol-related crashes was 45, of which 8 were fatal. An increasing problem for traffic safety in Hungary is distraction, for instance through the use of mobile phones while driving or crossing a street. Unfortunately, there are no statistical data about this phenomenon. According to roadside observations, 4-5% of drivers use their hand-held mobile phone while driving. In Hungary, driving with a hand-held device is forbidden, while the use of hands-free devices is tolerated. Sleepiness and fatigue are another cause of crashes. According to the Hungarian police, in 2017, 87 crashes were caused by sickness and 186 by sleepiness. Seat belt wearing has been compulsory in Hungary since 1976 in front seats. In rear seats, it has been compulsory outside urban areas since 1993 and in urban areas since 2001. Dedicated child restraint use is compulsory for children of 150 cm or under. In 2017, 91% of drivers and 52% of rear seat passengers wore a seatbelt. There is still much improvement needed to increase seat belt use in rear seats. INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT FORUM/OECD 7

Table 3. Seat belt wearing rate by car occupancy and road type Percentages 2000 2015 2017 Front seats General (Driver + passenger) 49 83 Driver 82 91 Urban roads (driver) 75 Rural roads (driver) 80 Motorways (driver) 90 Rear seats General 8 39 52 Children (use of child restraint) 90 (76 with child seats, 14 with adult belts) For motorcyclists, helmet wearing is the most effective passive safety measure. Helmet wearing has been compulsory since 1965 for motorcyclists, since 1997 for moped riders outside built-up areas, and since 1998 for moped riders inside built-up areas. The compliance rate by motorcyclists is nearly 100%. There is no mandatory helmet use law for cyclists. Road safety management and strategies According to Prof. Dr Péter Holló, the history of Hungarian road safety can be divided into the following six periods: 1976-86: relatively stable period. The 30-day definition for road accident fatalities was introduced in 1976; 1987-90: strong deterioration, similar to all countries where the political, social and economic systems changed following the collapse of the socialist bloc. This political change was accompanied by negative side effects for road safety, due to weak police control, less political attention to road safety, a false interpretation of freedom, explosion in the size and changes in the structure of the vehicle fleet, etc. The worst ever year for Hungarian road safety was in 1990, with nearly 2 500 people killed; 1991-2000: important improvements and major initiatives: - 1993: adoption of the first Hungarian National Road Safety Programme with a quantitative target. Road safety measures were implemented such as lower speed limits in built-up areas, mandatory daytime running lights and obligatory use of rear safety belts outside built-up areas, intensified police control and road safety campaigns, more severe sanctions, etc.; INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT FORUM/OECD 8

- 2000 was the most successful year until 2008, with a reduction of more than 50% in the number of people killed (1 200) compared to 1990. Some demographic and economic factors contributed to the positive trend: a decrease in the number of novice drivers and an increase in vehicle operating costs; 2001-06: deterioration, mainly outside built-up areas. In 2001, the speed limits outside built-up areas were raised. The level of police enforcement was insufficient, as was the organisation and funding of road safety activities; 2007-13: after several years of increasing road fatalities, the 2007 performance was back to that of 2000. In 2008, there was a remarkable decrease in fatalities less than 1 000. In 2013 the number of road fatalities was as low as that of 50 years earlier. The improvement in the passive safety of vehicles is considered to be an important factor contributing to these positive results. Several other factors (introduction of owner responsibility, installation of automatic speed cameras, further development of point demerit system, etc.) as well as the economic recession have also contributed to the reduction in the number of road deaths. 2014-2017: the number of road deaths fluctuated between 607 and 644 without a clear trend and the number of injury crashes showed an increasing trend. The decrease in the number of fatalities in 2016 could be attributed to the introduction of automated speed cameras. But their effects could already have diminished. Responsibility for the organisation of road safety in Hungary lies with the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry for Innovation and Technology. Overall responsibility for transport policy rests with the state secretary of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology. The new road safety action programme for the period 2017-2020 is under preparation. The Road Safety Action Programme 2014-16 was integrated into the Hungarian Transport Strategy. The primary aim of this was to improve road user behaviour, increase the level of compliance with traffic rules, develop individual responsibility and establish partnership in road traffic. Detailed road safety action plans are developed for each year. The Hungary Transport Strategy includes a road safety target aiming at decreasing by 50% the number of road fatalities between 2010 and 2020. It also includes an interim target of fewer than 518 road deaths by 2016, which was not met. In addition to the national target, Hungary adopted the European Commission s target to reduce by 50% the number of road fatalities by 2020, in comparison with the 2011 level. The Institute for Transport Sciences (KTI) continuously monitors the road safety situation and each year publishes a detailed evaluation based on outcome indicators (number of deaths and injury crashes) and also on a set of safety performance indicators (such as the use of seat belts, child restraints, daylight running lights, etc.). Based on the INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT FORUM/OECD 9

evaluation of the previous programme, KTI recommends dedicating further efforts to increasing the use of seat belts (especially in rear seats) and child seats, installing more speed cameras, increasing police enforcement and better protecting vulnerable road users. Based on the data from recent years, it is unlikely that the national or EU targets for 2020 will be achieved. Figure 5. Trends in road fatalities towards national target Measures Speed management A new intelligent camera system (VÉDA) is progressively being implemented on the Hungarian road network. The cameras are currently used for speed detection but will be able to detect other offences (such as red light running or non-wearing of safety belts). The possibility of using motorway tolling systems as section control devices is under consideration. Infrastructure A new road category, fast roads, has been established. The roads in this category have dual carriageways and a central barrier, but, unlike motorways, they allow for intersections, traffic control signals and roundabouts. The speed limit will be 110 km/h. The first fast road is under construction. Definitions, methodology, data collection Road fatality: a person who dies within 30 days as a result of a traffic crash. INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT FORUM/OECD 10

Seriously injured person: any person who, due to the crash, sustained an injury which meets one of the following criteria: necessitates hospitalisation for more than 48 hours within seven days of the accident; caused a fracture (except for finger, toe, nose fractures); caused cuts that resulted in serious bleeding or nerve, muscle or tendon injuries; caused injury of inner organs; caused a burn of second or third degree or a burn affecting more than 5% of body surface. Hungary does not use the Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale to define a serious injury. Nevertheless, to fulfil EU requirements it will report MAIS3+ data. Data on personal injury crashes are collected by the police and form the basis of the official Hungarian road crash statistics. In Hungary, the provision of road traffic crash data is governed by the government decree on the National Statistical Data Collection Programme, in line with the Act on Statistics. It takes into account Council Decision 93/704/EC, which stipulates that the member states provide their safety data to the European Commission for the elaboration of a European community database ("CARE"). The Hungarian national data collection system has been adjusted to be compatible with the Common Accident Data Set (CADaS) structure. To fulfil EU requirements, Hungary will report data on the Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale of 3 or more (MAIS3+). The preparation process related to the implementation of the MAIS3+ method as well as related legal steps have started recently. The quality and completeness of police reported data are relatively good for fatal crashes and casualties. However, based on previous research, it is estimated that only 85% of those seriously injured (based on the national definition) and 60% of those slightly injured are reported in police records. Resources Recent research KTI is conducting a number of road safety research projects. More information can be found at: http://kti.hu/. Statistical analysis of the effects of disruptive factors of driving in simulated environment (under publication). Dr. Sipos, Tibor; Pauer, Gabor; Dr. Török, Arpad INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT FORUM/OECD 11

Comparison of self-reported and observed road safety performance indicators (under publication). Prof. Dr. Holló, Peter; Berta, Tamás. Periodica Polytechnica Transportation Engineering. Some general considerations and examples in the field of road safety. Prof. Dr. Holló, Peter. XXIII International Conference Living and Walking in Cities, 15-16 June 2017, Brescia, Italy. Websites Institute for Transport Sciences (KTI): http://kti.hu/ References McMahon, K. and S. Dahdah (2008), The true cost of road crashes: Valuing life and the cost of a serious injury, International Road Assessment Programme (irap), Basingstoke, UK, http://www.alternatewars.com/bbow/abm/value_injury.pdf Wijnen, W., et al (2017), Crash cost estimates for European countries, D3.2 of the H2020 project SafetyCube, https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/dspacejspui/bitstream/2134/24949/1/d32-crashcostestimates_final.pdf INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT FORUM/OECD 12

Road safety and traffic data 2016 % change over 1990 2000 2010 2015 2016 2015 2010 2000 1990 2017 Reported safety data Fatalities 2 432 1 200 740 644 607-5.7% -18.0% -49.4% -75.0% 625 Injury crashes 27 801 17 493 16 308 16 331............ Deaths per 100 000 population Deaths per 10 000 registered vehicles 23.4 11.7 7.4 6.5 6.2-5.5% -16.4% -47.4% -73.7% 6.2 11.2 4.4 2.0 1.7 1.5-8.9% -25.8% -66.0% -86.6%.. Fatalities by road user Pedestrians 803 346 192 149 152 2.0% -20.8% -56.1% -81.1%.. Cyclists 313 182 92 83 73-12.0% -20.7% -59.9% -76.7%.. Moped riders 95 33 19 27 16-40.7% -15.8% -51.5% -83.2%.. Motorcyclists 143 52 49 50 48-4.0% -2.0% -7.7% -66.4%.. Passenger car occupants 974 500 330 304 269-11.5% -18.5% -46.2% -72.4%.. Other road users 104 87 58 31 49 58.1% -15.5% -43.7% -52.9%.. Fatalities by age group 0-14 years 107 44 20 11 11 0.0% -45.0% -75.0% -89.7%.. 15-17 years 99 18 10 9 8-11.1% -20.0% -55.6% -91.9%.. 18-20 years 162 64 33 24 13-45.8% -60.6% -79.7% -92.0%.. 21-24 years 191 114 40 37 34-8.1% -15.0% -70.2% -82.2%.. 25-64 years 1 365 736 488 416 382-8.2% -21.7% -48.1% -72.0%.. 65-74 years.... 77 67............ 75 years.... 60 77............ Fatalities by road type Urban roads.. 497 271 261 224-14.2% -17.3% -54.9%.... Rural roads.. 654 424 348 346-0.6% -18.4% -47.1%.... Motorways.. 49 44 34 37 8.8% -15.9% -24.5%.... Traffic data Registered vehicles (thousands) Registered vehicles per 1 000 population 2 163 2 706 3 640 3 886 4 022 3.5% 10.5% 48.6% 85.9%.. 208.5 264.7 363.5 394.3 409.1 3.8% 12.6% 54.5% 96.2%.. Note: registered vehicles do not include mopeds. INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT FORUM/OECD 13