A methodological approach to national road safety policies

1. ETSC Best in Europe Conference 2006 eSafety that matters Learning with countries in the SEC Belt A methodological approach to national road safety policies Richard ALLSOP and Maurizio TIRA

2. ETSC Review in the context of: • enlargement of the EU • ETSC’s SEC Belt project • wide disparity in levels of risk to road users across the EU • the shared responsibility of working towards the EU target to halve the number of deaths on the roads within a decade

3. Working Party for the Review

4. Findings of the Review are based upon: • historical background of road safety in the SEC Belt countries • personal analyses of road safety policy in four SEC Belt countries by working party members from those countries • examples of good practice from within and outside the SEC Belt countries • documented experience of the formulation and implementation of national road safety policies in EU Member States

5. Key findings of the Review: • checklist to help national decision-makers and practitioners to reduce death and injury on their roads through road safety policy by – assessing their achievement so far in road safety policy and • – identifying ways of making further progress - taking into account the specific features of their particular country

6. Key findings of the Review: • a framework for national analysis of road safety problems on which to base development of an effective targeted national road safety programme to suit the prevailing circumstances in that country • prerequisites for policy that is translated into action

7. Key findings of the Review: • the recommended strategic thinking and action are vital for sustained longer-term reduction in death and injury on the roads • but it will take time and should not become a substitute for action in the meantime • every country can take known and affordable measures here and now to reduce death and injury quickly • nothing the Review recommends should delay such action

8. Checklist for national road safety policies • intended to help and encourage • intended as suggestions and advice • intended to be applied flexibly • not a one size fits all prescription that can guarantee success • but every item is based on successful experience and can help towards reducing death and injury on a country’s roads

9. Checklist for national road safety policies Covers four phases of formulation and implementation of policy: • Adopting a road safety strategy • From strategy to plan of action • From plan to implementation and updating • Establishing and enhancing underpinning capabilities

10. 1 Adopting a road safety strategy • Build political support and commitment • Build public and private sector awareness and involvement • Consider safety holistically with social inclusion, sustainability and mobility • Create a vision or philosophy for the safety of the road transport system • Commit to a strategy for movement towards the envisaged safer system

11. 2 From strategy to plan of action • Keep under review the legal framework for use of the roads • Treat risk of death or injury on the roads as a public health problem • Analyse road safety problems from a systemic perspective • Set challenging yet achievable quantitative targets • Create a road safety action plan for timely achievement of the targets

12. 3 From plan to implementation and updating • Identify institutional roles clearly • Choose measures scientifically • Allocate responsibility for each measure close to the problem it addresses • Secure enough government and other funding to make the targets achievable • Establish transparent and trusted procedures for monitoring and evaluation

13. 4 Establishing and enhancing underpinning capabilities • Effective enforcement of laws requiring safety-related behaviour • Emergency response and trauma management to mitigate injury in collisions • Accident and casualty data collected systematically and accessible to users • Exposure data and performance indicators • Research to inform strategy and measures • Training for all relevant professional staff • Exchange of knowledge about best practice

14. Framework for national analysis of road safety problems • Identify problems most important for the country and concentrate on those • Recognise links between problems • Analyse problems in terms of their various dimensions • Watch for new problems emerging and some older problems declining

15. Dimensions of problem analysis • Magnitude – number of resulting accidents and injuries • Severity – degree of resulting injury and damage • Externality – which group of road users injures which? • Complexity – number of risk factors contributing to the problem • Inequity – disparity between risk and benefits from the road use concerned

16. Dimensions of problem analysis • Territoriality – geographical extent and distribution • Dynamics – is the problem getting worse or getting better? • Perception – how important is the problem seen to be? • Amenability to treatment – what are the prospects of reducing the problem by taking road safety measures?

17. Prerequisites for policy that is translated into action • Understanding of the circumstances in the country concerned • Mobilisation of technical and organisational expertise • Articulation of the problem • Generation of political will and commitment • Construction of a plan of action • Implementation and evaluation • Feedback into rearticulation of the problem

18. This strategic thinking and action is vital for the longer term – but it will take time • on no account should it become a substitute for action in the meantime • every country can take known and affordable measures here and now to reduce death and injury quickly • sensible action today will help tomorrow’s strategy • nothing the Review recommends should delay such action