The European Union Road Federation (ERF) is pleased to release its latest Position Paper on the next European Road Safety Action Programme (ERSAP) 2011-2020, which provides an overview of the ERF challenges for road safety in the next decade. 

Given the huge differences in current road safety levels between the EU Member States (MS), the ERF believes that the next ERSAP should establish targets and objectives that are tailor-made to the specific needs of each country and in addition, establish a mechanism (a European Road Safety Agency) for monitoring the actions taken and evaluating their impact.

Furthermore, it should seriously consider how road infrastructure can improve safety on the roads.  This should be done by looking at both overarching challenges as well as more specific measures. With respect to the former, the next ERSAP should examine the challenges posed to infrastructure by an ageing population as well as look into measures to improve road safety in MS’s secondary/rural network, where most accidents occur.  With respect to the latter, the next ERSAP should reflect on how to protect vulnerable/unprotected road users within cities as well as further examine how road restraints systems and road markings/road signs can improve safety levels.

Last but not least, the next ERSAP should promote the use of Intelligent Transport Systems as a means of improving Road Safety, especially through traffic management, the tracking and tracing of dangerous goods and the earmarking of road investment funds through road user charging.
 

The ERF is confident that the European Commission will take into its views on road safety and looks forward to cooperating with all interested stakeholders to improve Road Safety over the next decade.   The ERF Position Paper can be found on-line at: http://www.erf.be/images/stories/Position_Papers/Road_Safety_ERF_Position_...