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European report calls for safer single carriageway roads in Wales
publication date: Jun 9, 2010
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author/source: Robin Roberts
Improving single carriageway roads in Wales
rather than building new dual carriageways is the most significant and
realistic way to reduce accidents, according to a new European report on
road safety, published today.
| The European Road Assessment Programme, or EuroRAP for
short, says it is difficult to justify building miles of dual
carriageways on lightly trafficked roads but Sweden has shown dramatic
reductions in accidents on single carriageway roads by adopting a
Vison-Zero approach to designing out accident blackspots.
Wales and
England have been shown to have better road safety records than Scotland
and accidents are reducing in Ireland, notably in the North.
Less
than a third of Europe's major trading road routes meet the best
possible safety standard to which EU nations have committed themselves
on the network, says the report.
| | There will be a major review of the controversial and much criticised new motor-cycle test.
It will be reconsidered with views taken from interested sectors said Road Safety Minister Mike Penning.
The two-part motorcycle test was introduced in April 2009 to meet the requirements of the second EU Directive on driving licences.
The Minister ordered the review after listening to concerns from motorcycle groups and visiting a test centre to look at the testing procedure in more detail. Ways to improve training will also be considered.
Mike Penning said, “Road safety is a top priority and the testing and training on offer is vital in our work to cut the disproportionately high numbers of motorcyclists killed and injured on our roads each year.
"It is clear there are concerns among the motorcycling community about the safety of the new test's off-road module. There have also been complaints about the difficulty for riders in some areas of accessing the off-road test centres." | | | | | It provides comprehensive analysis
of the safety of Europe's road network and highlights wide regional
variations in safety standards and investment.
Overall, the
trans-European road network accounts for around 20,000 deaths and
serious injuries each year, which EuroRAP estimates costs EU economies
€10bn annually, excluding the cost of resulting traffic delays.
Of
the 15 countries analysed in depth, Sweden, Netherlands, Great Britain
and Switzerland top the league when it comes to achieving ‘best
possible' safety levels. More than half the network length in these
countries meets the "best possible" standard. Even so, most of these
countries have problem sections overdue for treatment.
The most remarkable country in the survey is
Slovenia
with its newly engineered network which is now outperforming most
others. Nearly half (49 per cent) is awarded "best possible" rating
but, away from the new motorway network, road risk rates are commonly
ten times higher.
The Czech Republic is making some progress and
getting close to Belgium in performance with 15 per cent at "best
possible" levels. Poland, Slovakia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have
major challenges: only five per cent or less of the networks achieved
"best possible" rating and their networks contained the most sections
with high risk ratings.
The report shows that Italy and Spain
rarely meet the "best possible" criteria in the survey period, although
the majority of their networks achieves a second best rating. The
nations of the British Isles achieve markedly different safety
standards.
The top performing country in the survey is Sweden where
85 per cent of the network length achieves the low risk rating.
According to EuroRAP, Sweden has pioneered new safe designs for roads
which are not motorways and has committed to upgrade safety equipment on
all significant single carriageways by 2025.
This provides the
model for all countries where traffic is too light to upgrade major
routes to motorway, including Wales, says the report.
According to
John Dawson, Chairman of EuroRAP, the organisation's report strengthens
the case for safer road design to be adopted throughout the EU.
"Our
report shows that there are many more flaws than many thought. There is
still a long way to go to reach a consistently high standard throughout
all regions.
“Where new motorways can be financed, the survey
shows they are paying impressive dividends in safety. Immediate
attention now needs to be paid to older motorways and the safety
standards of roads which will never justify motorway status or for which
the wait for finance will be measured in decades," he says.
"Safe
road design is paramount in reducing casualties on our roads and
providing a safe infrastructure which protects all road users. We must
reduce the needless personal loss caused by crashes and, with two per
cent of GDP lost in road crashes, recognise the overriding economic case
for investing in safer roads," concludes Dawson. | | | | | This is what a safe, environment-friendly and highly practical single-track vehicle for city traffic could look like in the future.
The C1-E concept vehicle, developed by BMW, will enjoy its first UK showing at the National BikeSafe Motorcycle Show 2010, sponsored by the industry’s Get On campaign, at Sheffield Arena on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 June. | |  |
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