Interventions

Interventions are shaped to achieve the desired focus on results. As outlined the World Report these seek to manage exposure to the risk of crashes, prevent crashes, and reduce crash injury severity and the consequences of crash injury.

Interventions as depicted in Box 1[6] address the safe planning, design and operation and use of the road network, and the conditions under which vehicles and road users can safely use it; and they set specific standards and rules for this safety and aim to secure compliance with them.

[6]Box 1: Classification of interventions Bliss, 2004
Intervention types	Standards and rules	Compliance
Planning, design, operation and use of the road network. Conditions of entry and exit of vehicles and road users to the road network. Recovery and rehabilitation of crash victims from the road network.	Standards and rules cover safe road planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance. Standards and rules also govern how the road network is to be used safely by setting speed and alcohol limits, occupant restraint and helmet requirements, vehicle standards and vehicle and driver licensing requirements. Standards and rules also govern the delivery of appropriate emergency medical and rehabilitation services to crash victims.	Compliance aims to make road builders and operators, the vehicle and transport industry, road users and emergency medical and rehabilitation services adhere to safety standards and rules, using a combination of education, enforcement and incentives.

In addition the texts in the Knowledge Base of ERSO, a wide body of international literature is available to inform knowledge on road safety interventions. For relatively recent overviews see

World Report of Road Traffic Injury Prevention (2004)
Towards Zero: Achieving Ambitious Safety Targets - Summary,Full Report (2008)
Implementing the Recommendations of The World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention Country guidelines for the conduct of road safety management capacity reviews and the related specification of lead agency reforms, investment strategies and safety programs and projects.See Global Road Safety Facility(2008)
The Road Safety Handbook, Elsevier (2004)

Re-classifying the urban network in the Netherlands	% of urban roads treated with 30km/h
A Dutch study estimated that two-thirds of the urban network in the Netherlands could be re-classified into "residential roads" with a 30 km/h speed limit to lessen the risk faced by vulnerable road users from motorized traffic. To a timetable agreed between national government and the road controlling authorities, a re-classification system was put in place within two years. The Dutch functional road hierarchy sets out appropriate speed limits, geometric design, road layout standards and operating conditions for roads with flow, distributor and access functions. For urban areas, a distinction is made between residential access roads (where low area-wide speed limits could apply) and other access roads.	5% in 1986 9.5% in 1990 16% in 1996 30% by 2000 50% by 2002 © EU

Re-classifying the urban network in the Netherlands

% of urban roads treated with 30km/h

A Dutch study estimated that two-thirds of the urban network in the Netherlands could be re-classified into "residential roads" with a 30 km/h speed limit to lessen the risk faced by vulnerable road users from motorized traffic.
To a timetable agreed between national government and the road controlling authorities, a re-classification system was put in place within two years. The Dutch functional road hierarchy sets out appropriate speed limits, geometric design, road layout standards and operating conditions for roads with flow, distributor and access functions. For urban areas, a distinction is made between residential access roads (where low area-wide speed limits could apply) and other access roads.

5% in 1986
9.5% in 1990
16% in 1996
30% by 2000
50% by 2002