Road safety tasks for the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam; Problem analysis and task setting for future policy The Metropolitan Region Amsterdam (MRA) wants its road safety policy to tune in to developments and trends as much as possible. The MRA therefore asked SWOV to analyse road safety in the MRA in its entirety and in each of the four sub-areas that were defined (City Region Amsterdam (SRA), IJmond and Zuid-Kennemerland (West), Gooi and Vechtstreek (G&V), Province of Flevoland (FLE)). To this effect three questions needed to be answered: 1. What is the road safety level in the MRA and its sub-areas and how does it compare to the safety level in the rest of the Netherlands? 2. Which trends can be observed in the MRA in the fields of demography, technology, economics, etc. that may affect road safety developments in the coming years? 3. What are (hence) the main target groups and their backgrounds and the road safety tasks for road safety policy of MRA and its different sub-areas? During the period 2000-2013, the number of road fatalities in the MRA has declined in a similar pace (-6.9% per year) as in the rest of Netherlands (-6.1% per year). The number of serious road injuries in crashes involving motor vehicles (2000-2009) has developed somewhat less favourably in the MRA (+ 0.3% per year vs.-1.9% in the rest of Netherlands). The mortality (deaths per inhabitant) of the MRA is lower than in the rest in Netherlands and the morbidity (serious traffic injuries per inhabitant) is approximately equal to that in the rest of Netherlands. Compared to the rest of Netherlands, the MRA has a relatively large number of road crash casualties among pedestrians. Furthermore, the MRA has relatively large numbers of casualties on roads in built-up areas, especially on 50 km/h roads. The distribution over transport modes of the crash opponent is about the same in the MRA as in the rest of the Netherlands; this is also the case for the age distribution of the casualties, which is very similar to that in the rest of Netherlands. When we compared the different sub-areas within the MRA, Flevoland was found to differ markedly from the other sub-areas. Flevoland has relatively many casualties among car occupants (including delivery vans) and on rural roads. This is probably due to the fact that, in comparison with the other sub-areas, Flevoland is a relatively rural area where cars are a relatively important mode of transport and where the proportion of rural roads is much greater. In years to come, the MRA and its four sub-areas will probably face a number of social trends that will affect road safety: - Increase in bicycle traffic and the use of the electric bike; - Increase in the mobility of (light) mopeds; - Quieter electric vehicles, especially on bicycle paths (electric bike, electric slow moped); - More vehicles and greater diversity of vehicles and larger speed differences on bicycle paths (e.g. speed pedelec); - Increase in delivery traffic in residential areas; - Increase in elderly road users; - Increase in the number of tourists. The City Region Amsterdam (SRA) in particular will need to take account of a general increase in mobility. This will put further pressure on the limited space for traffic. On the basis of the target groups for the Netherlands and the answers to the first two research questions, the main target groups for each area were defined. The main target groups for the Netherlands, the elderly, and cyclists, are also important for the MRA. Because of the ageing population, the expected increase in bicycle mobility in general and that for various types of faster electric bicycles in particular, both target groups will be increasingly important. Another general target group that emerged from the social trends and is important for all sub-areas, is delivery traffic in residential areas. The table below shows which additional target groups are important for each sub-area. Sub-area: SRA Target groups: Pedestrians, (light) mopeds, public transport when crash opponent, 50 km/h roads Sub-area: West Target groups: (Light) moped riders, passenger cars when crash opponent, 30 and 50km/h roads, (12-17 year-olds) Sub-area: G&V Target groups: (Light) moped riders, 50 km/h roads, (12-17 year-olds) Sub-area: FLE Target groups: (Delivery) vehicles and freight and delivery vehicles when crash opponent, 0-24 year-olds, rural roads Furthermore, the report gives an overview of the various influencing factors in different crash types and for different road users. For pedestrians, cyclists, (light) moped riders and for the elderly vulnerability plays an important role. Important behavioural factors are speed, distraction, alcohol, fatigue, red light negation and visibility of pedestrians, cyclists and (light) moped riders. Important infrastructure-related factors are obstacles, bad road surface and curbs alongside bicycle paths, grey roads and unsafe verges on roads outside built-up areas. In relation with the vehicle, the instability of two-wheelers, the great mass and long stopping distance of buses and trams and the great mass and limited visibility of freight and delivery vehicles are factors of particular importance. In combination with the identified target groups, this information presents points of departure for effective road safety policy. For a number of target groups, such as pedestrians in the SRA, it is also advisable to identify the influencing factors that play a role in that specific sub-area; this can for example be done through in-depth studies. Finally, ' road safety indicators' or SPIs, may be a useful tool.