Skip to main content

European Day Without A Road Death: ‘Everyone’s vulnerable’

September 26, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

 

This year’s European Day Without A Road Death (Project EDWARD) takes place today, emphasising a theme of vulnerability. It is organised by the European Traffic Police Network (650 TISPOL), which offers a somewhat pessimistic view of the state of play. “We have spent time reflecting on recent results which paint a very mixed picture of progress in reducing deaths and serious injuries on Europe’s roads,” 650 TISPOL says in a statement. “For the first few years of this decade, countries across the EU have been highly successful in pursuing the 2020 50% reduction target. But the arrival of a second successive year of disappointing news shows that this downward trend has stagnated.”

On average, 70 people per day are killed on Europe’s roads, and TISPOL says: “Driver behaviour remains the most important barrier to progress as we approach 2020 and its reduction targets.”

The organisation continues: “This year we stress the notion that we are all more vulnerable than we think we are. The word vulnerable probably leads us initially to picture children crossing the road, cyclists in traffic, motorcyclists as well… but we are all at risk. So today let’s all reflect on the risks we face and the risks we pose to others.”

The campaign which won a major safety award this year, was started in 2016. The organisers insist that awareness-raising “offers us the opportunity to put road safety high on the agenda – not just amongst ourselves who live and breathe it every day, but much further and wider as we reach out to everyone who uses the roads”.

https://www.itsinternational.com/feature/international-road-safety-awards-winners

 

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Netherlands bans electric carts after four children killed
    October 8, 2018
    The Dutch government has banned electric carts following a road-rail collision which killed four children in the southern town of Oss. The Stint cart carrying the children - aged four to eight - was hit by a train at a level crossing, the BBC says. A witness heard the 32-year-old female driver from a daycare centre shout that her brakes had failed. The driver and a fifth child were seriously injured in the crash. Stints can carry up to 10 children who are strapped in with a s eatbelt. The driver is
  • 10th ITS European Congress app development contest
    January 17, 2014
    ITS Finland, host of the 10th ITS European Congress, has launched the ‘ITS in your pocket’ app development competition, providing an opportunity for companies, teams and individuals to compete for a total prize sum of €100,000 (US$136,000). Apps should provide solutions to improve transport safety, efficiency and sustainability, make transport systems more comfortable and should focus on the user needs.
  • European Commission launches first EU Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan award for local authorities
    September 4, 2012
    The European commission has launched the first EU award to encourage the adoption of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) by local and regional authorities. Under the inaugural theme ‘stakeholder and citizen participation’, local and regional authorities can submit their applications for the award of EUR 10 000 (US$12,606) on www.dotherightmix.eu.
  • TRL announces new student award initiative
    September 22, 2016
    The UK Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) has launched the TRL Student Award, which aims to tap into the creative skills of today’s younger generation in the UAE in order to help solve practical, real life problems while also helping the region in its move towards more growth and development. The initiative will award some of the region’s top student minds for their proposals of innovative and sustainable transport solutions in a special awards ceremony on the sidelines of Gulf Traffic 2016, which will