SABRINA - Meet our Project Leader - The European Institute of Road Assessment (EIRA)
16-08-2022
We continue our journey in presenting the SABRINA project partners and have today the pleasure to discuss with Olivera Rozi, representing The European Institute of Road Assessment (EIRA) which assumed the responsibility as lead partner of the SABRINA project.
Olivera, your organization in 300 words: Who are you and what is the main focus of the activity of EIRA?
The European Institute of Road Assessment (EIRA) is a not-for-profit entity, the subsidiary entity of European Road Assessment Programme (EuroRAP), an international not-for-profit membership organisation registered in Belgium in 2002. EIRA specializes in implementation of transnational cooperation projects with multiple stakeholders and in research and innovation projects related to road safety and road infrastructure safety. We are working under the umbrella of International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) sharing the vision of world free of high-risk roads, because every life counts. Moreover, EIRA is supporting EuroRAP members in the Southeast Europe in working on improvements of road infrastructure safety for all road users and implementing Road Assessment Methodology.
EIRA is the Lead Partner in SABRINA project which focuses on cycling infrastructure safety, but before SABRINA, we have also led RADAR project (co-financed by the Danube Transnational Programme) focused on road infrastructure safety in the Danube region for ALL road users. The results of RADAR project as well as previous studies (i.e SENSOR project 2012-2014, co-funded by Southeast Europe Programme) have shown significant infrastructure safety weaknesses for VRUs in the Danube region. This was the main motivation to develop SABRINA project idea, and we were very pleased that the idea has been embraced by DTP Programme and project was selected for funding.
Why did you choose to be a Lead Partner in SABRINA? And please share with us what is the most important output from your point of view?
SABRINA project is linking innovative topic with territorial cooperation to highlight concerns between increasing trend (and reasonable demand) for more cycling and sustainable mobility and its impact on the safety of the cyclists. Infrastructure can play significant role in protecting users from serious and fatal outcomes in case an accident occurs. Awareness raising about this issue was considered immediate need before policy makers embrace sustainable mobility agenda that include increase in cyclists share in modal split, in cities but also on long distance routes. When it comes to safety, the proactive, evidence-based approach saves most lives. As a LP in SABRINA we would like to see massive increase in cyclists’ trends in the Danube region on the safest possible infrastructure so that no life is in danger when choosing the most effective and sustainable mode of transport for daily trips. Therefore, the most important SABRINA output for us is the creation of the tool that will support decision makers to plan, develop and design safe cycling infrastructure together with their policies to increase cycling and make the living areas more climate friendly, carbon neutral and safe. The Safe Cycling Routes Toolkit will be a tool that will incorporate results of SABRINA project including EuroVelo cycling paths infrastructure Star Rating maps and will serve as a repository for accessing results, factsheets about cycling benefits and other recommendations on cycling safety. The tool will be developed in the modular interactive online decision-making support tool that will guide stakeholders through the process of definition of new, safe cycling paths and safety improvements of existing ones.
We often talk about data. How important is data and scientific research when addressing politicians and decision makers in your country. Which are relevant updates we should look into.
The quote attributed to the Peter Druker “if you can’t measure it, you cannot improve it” explains the best how important is the data when addressing road safety. The lack of existing road safety data is prominent problem everywhere. When it comes to road safety data of VRUs and accidents and fatal and serious injuries the data is even more scarce. It creates environment in which the problem can and often is underestimated and neglected.
The scientific research in this respect is the key for informed policy decision. Monitoring, managing and addressing safety on facilities used by cylists and light mobility vehicles is a challenge, even for those with the most advanced cycling networks. Specifications and manuals for road engineering and design for cycling infrastructure, assessment tools such as road safety audit, and road asset management practices often neglect or ignore safe cyclist infrastructure. In SABRINA, we have piloted CycleRAP methodology that aims to help fill this gap by providing a way to objectively measure and benchmark safety. This is SABRINA contribution to improvement of the cyclist’s safety and evidence-based scientific research debate.
How much should a km of a 5 star rating cycling infrastructure really cost? Leaving from no bike lane to a 5 stars one.
In road safety there is no such thing as a real cost. How much a life lost on road costs? Life of a person is the most precious thing, and no price tag can be added. The value of a statistical loss of life provides an important economic measure of an individual’s trade-off between health risks and other consumption and is a widely used policy parameter. Considering value of statistical life, studies have shown that in Danube area countries are losing annually up to 2% of GDP in fatal and serious accidents. Well desired increase in cycling flows by active policy promotion without building of adequate and safe infrastructure may significantly increase this percentage. Therefore, if countries would invest up to 2% of their annual GDP in 5* cycling infrastructure the costs – benefit ratio will often equal 2 or more. The economics are obvious, we should make sure policy makers understand this and SABRINA aims to contribute towards this goal.
#SafetyOn2Wheels
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