Every year ASECAP organizes in one of its member countries a high-level conference dedicated to road safety. This year, the Greek National Road Fund, TEO and ASECAP jointly organised the fourth edition on Tuesday 1 March 2011, in Athens.

Tolled highways on the path to vision zero

Having in mind the European Commission’s Policy Orientations on Road Safety for the period 2011-2020, this major event was a unique opportunity for all key actors from all over Europe, ranging from experts in the field to national and European decision-makers, to discuss about the contribution that toll roads and the concession model are making and will continue to make to the creation of a common European road safety area. Besides ASEAP members, representatives from the European Commission, European Parliament and various Educational Institutions from Greece made their contribution to the event which showed once again the importance and success of the conference and places it at the top of many safety events that are being organized regularly by various parties.

Toll revenues for safer infrastructure

Valuing the expertise and experience of the ASECAP members and the important role played by the tolling industry in improving the safety of every driver, EC Director Mr Enrico GRILLO PASQUARELLI said that “ASECAP members are putting road safety in practice in their daily operations” and considered PPP and earmarking of the revenues collected through road charging as the best models to further invest in safe infrastructures. He also stressed out that regarding the road infrastructure safety there is still a lot of room for improvement especially in domain of rural roads. EC will promote the conditions of road safety to national roads where the highest percent of accidents occur and where the investments are most needed. He also pointed out that EU funds will only be available for building of infrastructure in compliance with the EU Eurovignette Directive and Directive on Road Tunnel Safety. Guidelines will be issued by the EC with conditions necessary in order to be eligible to get the money from funds and also extension of principles of these Directives for countries that lag behind. It is important to say that the principles should apply to other roads and not just the TEN-T network. Mr. Pasquarelli also stated that when discussing infrastructure safety climate change will also come to question as well as the importance of road maintenance that leads to the problem of protection of workers on works sights. He concluded with saying that we must work together, share responsibility and try to achieve the maximum level of safety. In the same vein, Mr Yiannis MAGRIOTIS, Greek Deputy Minister for Infrastructures, Transport and Networks, recalled that infrastructures, managed successfully by concessions, lead to road safety and economic growth.

Great need for increasing all control systems

ASECAP’s members and other key stakeholders from Europe and Greece also presented how tolled motorways are already significantly safer compared to the secondary roads and shared their best practices regarding safety campaigns and technical improvements. In addition, they focused on how the motorways will keep working towards a continuous reduction of fatalities and severe injuries on their network until reaching the vision of zero accidents for all users, including the vulnerable ones. In this respect, Ms Inés AYALA SENDER, Member of the European Parliament (MEP), highlighted that ASECAP members could contribute to reach a common definition of injuries and, subsequently, a specific target to reduce them, by sharing their expertise and the information at their disposal. She also stressed out that there is a great need for increasing all control systems (cameras, alcohol and drug tests, availability of information to drivers). Action Plan is needed and shortly expected from the Transport Committee with a calendar, infrastructure for evaluation of every action concerning road safety and all other needed for reaching the main goal of halving fatalities and a long term goal of 0 fatalities by 2050. Concrete evaluation of accidents is needed in order to achieve these goals, as well as a need to focus on different road users, reducing fatalities and accidents concerning children and old users, need to ensure safe parking, secure professional drivers etc. Forthcoming White Paper on Transport will be issued end of March 2011 and is more focused on decarbonisation of transport that should be viewed together with safety and infrastructure since infrastructure is one of the key elements we can use for fighting against climate change, pollution and noise.

Collection of reliable data on accidents is necessary for defining targets

In this regard, Mr. Kallistratos Dionelis stressed out that the point is not where to go but how to go there, and for this tools like action plans and cost benefit analysis are needed. One of the main issues for the policy makers are the data given and in this respect there is a strong need to develop a way to collect reliable data that could be interpreted commonly and be distributed to users. “We need to think not to increase safety but decrease unsafety” said Mr. Dionelis and stated his suggestion for improving the road safety in EU by establishing the permanent platform in Europe for dealing with this problem. Other suggestions from the presented speakers include the need of governments to include road safety as the first priority and invest money, need to take on board all stakeholders and for us to be human beings with ethics.

Main causes of accidents on motorways and corresponding awareness campaigns

Examples of road safety campaigns included the speakers from ASFA (France), ASFINAG (Austria), APCAP (Portugal) and various institutions from Greece who presented their facts and figures in this area and ways of trying to improve them.

France

ASFA presented their concern regarding the main cause of accidents in France which is sleepiness and drowsiness followed by alcohol, drugs and medications and speeding. Campaigns aimed to reduce this include posters, dedicated motorway radio, VMS – safety information in real time. Strong efforts are made to encourage people to have a break that include dissemination of CDs given advices to better relax when needed, dedicated website, free access to download zen music etc.

Austria

ASFINAG also presented their efforts in reducing the number of accidents that include billboards, print media and TV commercials aimed at influencing the drivers in order to change their behaviour and diminish the number of accidents. Campaigns are mostly aimed at the main problems of accident occurrence that include alcohol, seat belts, drowsiness, winter conditions, child restraint systems and tunnel safety with clear and simple messages such as ALCOHOL KILLS! or SEAT BEALTS SAVE LIVES!

Portugal

APCAP also presented the situation in Portugal regarding this subject where disrespect to traffic rules (speed, signals, and wrong manoeuvres) and fatigue present the main reasons for occurrence of accidents. Portugal was in 2001 one of the 15 EU countries with a high car accidents level. The EU policy on road transportation safety became a priority and stated in the White Paper to reduce the number of people killed on roads by 50% by 2010. Portugal adopted steps to improve road safety measures and in 10 years the European average was reached and overcame. In that context, APCAP, individually or by its associated concessionaires, carries out every year safety campaigns mostly focussed on insufficient driver awareness or on improper driver behaviour. With regard to driver training and education, APCAP has published documentation on motorway safety, accident levels, quality of life and fighting fatigue, in addition to the usual annual statistics. Police controls are also involved in promoting the safety campaigns and are contributing by distributing the safety materials.

Greece

Regarding the situation in Greece, the Hellenic Institute of Transportation Engineers expressed their concern since no coordinated action exists. Main causes of low road safety level in Greece include the combination of three parameters - the high percentage of unsafe road network, driving behaviour (speeding and nervous driving) and ineffective legal framework. New Legal Framework for Road Safety in Greece includes the establishment of National Road Safety Council (NRSC - a body that incorporates all the organizations involved in Road Safety, with the active participation of HITE), establishment of General Directorate in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport and Networks where all the road safety related services are appointed to, and reinstatement of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Road Safety and respective Secretariat. Road safety campaigns include organisation of nights without alcohol, campaigns for youngsters and children, theatrical plays, educational books, DVDs, guidelines on how to drive safely, gadgets as safety jackets and alcohol tests etc.

ITS actions for road safety

The ASECAP COPER III chairman Mr. Camolino also presented the latest ITS actions in Road Safety developments where the Easyway project, involving 27 EU Member States and 3 other European countries to address the major EU transport objectives and harmonise the deployment of ITS, also plays a significant role. Mr. Adams, EasyWay chairman presented the project and the strategic targets that include:

  • avoiding congestion (25% reduction on the TERN by 2020)
  • road safety (25% reduction in fatalities and severe injuries on the TERN by 2020)
  • protecting the environment (10% reduction in CO2 by 2020).

He also pointed out that since 1st of January 2011 Easyway 2 was launched based on the Action Plan and Directive 2010/40/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2010 on the framework for the deployment of ITS . ASECAP Road Safety Event brought together major stakeholders for an exchange of views on the best practices of tolled motorway operators to further reduce road fatalities and injuries throughout the EU. The event was a great success and HUKA and its members will continue to support and contribute to events like this in the future.

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