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Explore Latvia's road safety policies, achievements, and challenges, including key actions taken, penalties enforced, and benefits observed. Learn about measures to ensure safety, monitor implementation, and improve road infrastructure.
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Road Traffic Safety Policy in Latvia - Action plans, problems and future developments. Aldis LāmaAccident database and road safety expert Member of „CARE & RSPI national experts group” from Latvia in ECRoad Safety PIN panelist from Latvia in ETSC
The objectives of the presentation • To show the policy of Road Safety; • To show achievements of implementation; • To show actual problems of road safety.
Fatalities per million inhabitants From 2001 the number of killed per million inhabitants decreased - 2.7 times in Latvia, 2.2 times in EU.
Deaths and main changes in Traffic rules From 1st of April, 1999: • compulsory use of head lights at all time; • compulsory use of child restraint systems; • compulsory use of reflectors for pedestrians in darkness; • compulsory use of winter tires from 01.12 till 01.03; • use of mobile phone in vehicle only with hand free system; From 1st of February, 2009 the penalty points are also recorded for riders of moped From 1st of January, 1996: • speed limit in built-up areas limited to50 km/h; • mandatory use of safety belts, helmets; • mandatory use of head lights from 01.10. till 01.04. From 1st of July, 2004: • introduction of penalty point system; • testing of riders of moped is mandatory for obtaining license.
Main actions and implementations • Penalty point system entered into force in Latvia on July 1, 2004; • Fines increased for offences that affect road safety; • Different public awareness campaigns were implemented; • Good testing system of new drivers to obtain driving license was established; • Black spot management system developed, as well as the audit of roads was introduced; • Since 1995 annual vehicles’ technical inspection was introduced; • Road traffic safety informative system was introduced.
Philosophy of road safety action plans To achieve the main goal it is necessary to affect road users via: Education - to educate and to train the road users to behave safe as well as to create public opinion about safe behaviour; Enforcement - to enforce the road users to behave safe; Engineering - to improve the infrastructure of road network;
Monitoring of implementation of program Since 2008 annual monitoring is done, the monitoring includes: • Estimation of actual road safety situation – achievements and losses; • Execution of the program implementation, legislative changes and trends in the EU; • Assessment of fulfilment and realization of program defined tasks; • Achievements and effectiveness of implementation of programme by using cost benefit analyses; • Conclusions and recommendation.
Benefits of injury accidents in Latvia (1) From 2000 till 2006 Number of vehicles increased by 52,4% Number of traffic volume increased by 58,8% Number of accidents decreased by 4,0% Number of deaths decreased by 37,6% From 2006 till 2013 Number of vehicles increased by 15,2% Number of traffic volume decreased by 7,1% Number of accidents decreased by 18,9% Number of traffic volume increased by 56,0% Risk to be killed From 2000 till 2006 decreased by 59,6% From 2006 till 2013 decreased by 52,7% Risk to be involved in accident From 2000 till 2006 decreased by 39,6% From 2006 till 2013 decreased by 12,7%
Benefits of injury accidents in Latvia (2) Benefits ~ 324 million, EUR Saved 999 lives Total number of injured people increased by 4532 Benefits ~ 761 million, EUR Saved 1443 lives Total number of injured people decreased by 8457
Why the situation has worsened in 2014? (1) One of reasons is the change of behaviour of road users which affected the Latvian unsuccessful attempt to introduce speed cameras - in November of 2011 started second stage of introduction of speed cameras, but after one year the project was stopped, in December of 2012. As show statistics speed on main roads increased, as results increased aggressive driving and all safety indicators (April-September).
Why the situation has worsened in 2014? (2) The deaths of car occupants increased by 28,1 % from 71 (2013) to 91 (2014), number of injured increased by 8,5% from 2163 (2013) to 2347 (2014). 53,3% of all deaths of car occupants were registered in single vehicle accidents. It should be noted that in recent years number of deaths in single vehicle shows increasing trend: 2012 - 26 2013 - 34 2014 - 48. Number of deaths in accidents where driver are under influence of alcohol increased approximately three times from 10 (in 2013) to 29 (in 2014). And finally, unfortunately observations on the road, shown that number of road traffic rules violation are increased.
Main conclusions • The road safety in Latvia is improved during last years; • Despite of achievements the level of road safety in Latvia is worse than the average level of European Union; • According to statistics the road safety situation has worsened in 2014.
