New FIA Region I policy position on road infrastructure and tunnel safety

FIA Region I has welcomed the European Commission’s plan to revise and merge the road infrastructure safety management directive and the directive on minimum safety requirements for tunnels since many of the problems that road users face today are linked with poor maintenance of road infrastructure. FIA Region I believes that road management authorities should be obliged by the EU and member states to ensure a minimum level of road maintenance. A well-developed and maintained road network enables safe, e
February 17, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
8054 FIA Region I has welcomed the European Commission’s plan to revise and merge the road infrastructure safety management directive and the directive on minimum safety requirements for tunnels since many of the problems that road users face today are linked with poor maintenance of road infrastructure.

FIA Region I believes that road management authorities should be obliged by the EU and member states to ensure a minimum level of road maintenance. A well-developed and maintained road network enables safe, efficient mobility and sustains the European economy and society.

It says that European policies should sustain a first-class road infrastructure and rid Europe of high-risk roads. It believes uniformly safe roads in Europe should guide policies, regardless of borders.

It is calling on the EU to extend the instruments of the RISM Directive to non-TEN-T roads, at least, to all motorways and enable the use of the RISM for all EU funding of infrastructure projects, including regional funds and European Investment Bank loans.

It also calls for the EU to define a quality benchmark for the infrastructure (for instance, an aspiration to a EuroRAP 3-star rating or equivalent throughout the EU28). It also wants to harmonise the quality of the training provided to road safety auditors across Europe and ensure that member states undertake rapid remedial measures to treat black spots and endeavour to ensure a uniform, efficient delivery of information to road users.

The report also calls for an increase in the focus on protection of vulnerable road users in the RISM and to ensure these safeguards are also applied to tunnels. It also requires the matching of the deployment of intelligent active safety systems in vehicles by adopting high quality standards for road markings and traffic signs.

FIA also calls for reinforcing provisions to ensure the safety of road work sites, whilst only reverting to road closures when absolutely necessary and ensuring that non-TEN-T tunnels longer than 500m are also included in a revision of the Directive on minimum safety requirements for tunnels.

For more information on companies in this article

FIA

Related Content

  • Cooperative infrastructure systems waiting for the go ahead
    February 3, 2012
    Despite much research and technological promise, progress towards cooperative infrastructure system deployment is still slow. Here, Robert Cone and John Miles take a considered look at how and when it might come about. From a systems engineering viewpoint it looks logical and inevitable that vehicles should be communicating between themselves and with the road infrastructure. But seen from a business viewpoint the case is not proven.
    Read More
  • Variable message signs continue to deliver travel information
    February 2, 2012
    Arguably the 'face' of ITS, variable message signs are far from being a passing solution
    Read More
  • EU identifies priorities for trans-European transport network until 2030
    January 20, 2015
    The European Commission has published nine studies on the state of play and the development needs of the Ten-T core network corridors. The studies have identified infrastructure development needs which represent approximately US$811 billion of financial investment until 2030. They highlight the importance of optimising the use of infrastructure along the corridors, notably through intelligent transport systems, efficient management and the promotion of future-oriented clean transport solutions. This is the
    Read More
  • Enforcement ensures equity for toll road users
    January 25, 2018
    All-electronic tolling boosts traffic flow but introduces the tricky question of enforcement. Workable solutions are starting to emerge. Enforcement is an essential part of tolling and one of the most important ways for a mobility agency to keep faith with its investors, its community stakeholders and the vast majority of its users. It can also be one of the most unpopular and contentious things a toll authority has to undertake. If tolling is about paying for the roads, then everyone has to pay their
    Read More

Highlighted Content