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Mobility & Transport - Road Safety
News article11 June 2015

Interim evaluation of the road safety policy framework 2011-2020

The Commission's work on road safety in 2011-2020 is guided by a policy framework which targets a halving of the number of road deaths over the period.

The Commission has conducted an interim evaluation of the policy framework, taking stock of action taken to date and assessing progress made towards the target.

Its main conclusions are that:

  1. The policy framework remains relevant
    The strategic target, focus areas and specific measures in the framework still address the main road‑safety problems. Thanks to its holistic approach, covering both motorised and vulnerable road-users, the framework will remain relevant in the coming years.
  2. The fatality reduction target is an important tool
    The strategic, aspirational target for reducing the number of road fatalities has proven to be an important and useful tool for monitoring and benchmarking progress.
  3. The target is still within reach, but will be a challenge
    For the remainder of the strategy period, annual average decreases of 7.8% in the number of road deaths will be needed if we are to hit the target of a 50% overall reduction between 2010 and 2020. This is ambitious, but not impossible.
  4. More attention needs to be paid to vulnerable road‑users and serious injuries
    Fatalities are falling more slowly among vulnerable road‑users (pedestrians and cyclists) and elderly road‑users (over-65s) than for other groups. Serious injury statistics are not decreasing as quickly as fatalities.
  5. Future challenges: an ageing population, distracting technical devices
    Work on road safety in the coming years must start taking into account new developments such as population ageing, the increased use of potentially distracting technical devices in traffic and the development of new safety technologies such as cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and automated driving systems.

 

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Publication date
11 June 2015