Photo: Tao Lytzen

Traffic safety 

COWI is involved in an initiative to help reduce European traffic fatalities. While the number of traffic accidents on European roads has decreased, there is still much to do to reduce the number further and achieve the EU's goal of 25,000 a year.

Traffic safety is improving in the EU but achieving the 2010 goal set by the European Commission is still a long way off.

A mid-term evaluation of the EU's plan of action, "Saving 20,000 lives on our roads", shows that 41,600 people were killed on European roads in 2005. This figure is lower than in 2001, but forward projections show that this could be as many as 32,500 fatalities on European roads by 2010. And the goal is to reduce this number to 25,000. On behalf of the European Commission COWI has now taken stock of traffic safety in the member countries.
Photo: Andrew Stewart / Cappelen Digital


Traffic is increasing

"Although traffic is increasing the number of accidents has thankfully been reduced - but perhaps not at the rate one would like to see. It becomes harder and more expensive to reduce the accident figures as time goes by. Only Sweden is pursuing a vision of zero accidents," says Peter Christensen, Head of the Traffic Planning Department at COWI.

Reaching this goal became even more challenging when ten new member countries entered the EU in 2004. These new members are facing some of the same problems seen in developing countries: huge growth in traffic, but an infrastructure that is not geared to handle so many new cars on the roads. Also the new EU countries have no track record or experience in long-term, systematic traffic management or safety protocols.

Improve the infrastructure

To reduce the number of accidents, COWI's traffic experts suggest improving not only the infrastructure but also the way drivers behave and the technology in their cars. Many accidents occur because of the way drivers react in a road culture that is merciless towards those who make mistakes.

"Most accidents happen when people drive too fast, overtake where they aren't supposed to, drive under the influence of alcohol, and overestimate their own abilities. And while there is talk of older people being involved in more accidents, there is no evidence to support this. It is the younger generation that causes the most accidents," says Jesper Mertner, a senior project manager in COWI.

By Christina Tækker, cht@cowi.dk
Published 25.08.2006