Understanding the past in order to learn lessons for the future is the essence of the SUNflower methodology designed to compare the development of road safety in different European countries. The SUNflower methodology is data driven and knowledge based. The results of the SUNflower+6 project will be presented to the Road Safety High Level Group of the European Commission in Brussels on 27th June 2006.
SWOV, together with research institutes from eight other European countries, compared the road safety of nine European countries. This study is known as SUNflower+6. Its purpose was to develop a method of comparison on road safety that could be applied in many countries. This method provides each country with insight into which measures have been effective, and have thus contributed to greater road safety. The analyses resulted in a number of recommendations for further improvements. The following countries took part: Sweden, United Kingdom, the Netherlands (the S and U from the original three SUNflower countries in which the N was the Netherlands), Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Greece, Portugal, and Spain – and additional the autonomous region of Catalonia. European targets There has been a decrease in the number of road deaths in all nine member states in this study. However, the decrease in these countries is insufficient to reach the target of 50% less road deaths in 2010. This confirms previous studies. It is still not clear whether the encouraging reduction in 2004 in countries such as the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom can be maintained for a longer period. The contributions to the EU target of the three Central European counties of Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovenia is also uncertain and may be small. More needs to be done in the three Southern Europe countries of Greece, Portugal, and Spain to maintain their current improvements. Efforts in Europe must be increased In the report, the research institutes also make recommendations to the European Commission about taking measures to increase Europe's road safety and contribute towards achieving the EU target. These recommendations to the EU are, among others:
- take more initiatives to improve the safety of young, novice motorists
- invest more in the safety of motorized two-wheelers;
- give a higher international priority to improving the vehicle safety of motorcycles and mopeds;
- create a separate infrastructure for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, especially in urban areas;
- take more measures to improve work-related road risk
- introduce, EU-wide, promising measures such as an alcohol interlock, a seatbelt lock, and speed limiters;
- encourage strong and accountable links between national and local governments, and involve the citizens more;
- improve the availability of reliable and comparable road safety data.
Presentation
On 27th June 2006, the main results will be presented to the Road Safety High Level Group of the European Commission in Brussels. The SUNflower project has been conducted with financial support of the European Commission.
More information can be found on the special website sunflower.swov.nl, where the final report is available too.
|
