RADAR project partner Automobile and Motorcycle Association of Slovenia (AMZS) successfully executed another webinar in a series of Road Infrastructure Safety Webinars as a final point to complete the RADAR Road Infrastructure Safety Training Course Concept. The webinars on four thematic areas (SRIP; Provisions for Vulnerable Road Users; Intelligent Transportation Systems, speed management, and traffic calming approaches; Star Rating for Schools) had been announced during training courses in eight countries across the Danube area.

Jure Kostanjšek, Road Safety Expert, AMZS, held the presentation on Provisions for Vulnerable Road Users (Pedestrians and Cyclists) with Prof. Peter Lipar, PhD., University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering. Although the case study focused on Slovenian roads, good practices can be applied as countermeasures in all countries.

Large parts of the Danube road network rate poorly for safety, particularly for vulnerable road users. The network quality standards in the region vary substantially, with countries ranking at top EU levels and neighbouring ones in very low positions. As a result of a high number of relatively small countries and as accession to the EU happened in different phases, there are very different road conditions and road safety approaches between countries. In addition, the expectations of road users of safety conditions need to be adapted and revised as the move from country-to-country since approaches to road safety differ.

A Danube-wide transnational road safety intervention is therefore necessary since transnational traffic is growing exponentially and there are significant differences in road safety performance on routes across the region. This is true particularly for regional roads, often showing mixed traffic use and passing through urban areas or villages. Vehicles travel at high speed, with higher safety risks for vulnerable road users.

On June 11, 2020, the European Commission published preliminary road safety figures for 2019. While considerably fewer car occupants were killed in urban areas in 2018 compared with 2010, the situation for cyclists worsened. For 2018, 70 % of total fatalities in urban areas happen with vulnerable road users, with 12 % of them being cyclists.

Looking at urban areas only, the number of cyclists killed increased by 1 % between 2010 and 2018. For every person killed in road crashes, about five more suffer serious injuries with life-changing consequences. Serious injuries are often more costly to society because of long-time rehabilitation and healthcare needs. The majority of those injured are vulnerable road users, i.e. pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers of powered two-wheelers. Vulnerable road users account for an even higher proportion of those injured in towns and cities. The majority of those injured are vulnerable road users, i.e. pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers of powered two-wheelers. Vulnerable road users account for an even higher proportion of those injured in towns and cities.

In the context of coronavirus resulting in an ever-growing number of people using bicycles, rapid work is needed, concluded RADAR project lead partner EIRA-EuroRAP.  

Another upcoming webinar on Intelligent Transportation Systems, Speed managements, and Traffic Calming Approaches as well as Star Rating for Schools awaits you – STAY TUNED!  

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