Managing and Organizing Comprehensive Highway Safety in Europe
U.S.
Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
International Technology Exchange Program
April 2003
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The scanning team noted that the highly successful highway safety programs
in the four countries visited share a number of common themes. The effectiveness
of the safety programs in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom
appear to result at least partially from the application of these themes. Several
commonalities among the highway safety programs explored are described below.
HIGHWAY SAFETY AS A PUBLIC HEALTH OR QUALITY OF LIFE
ISSUE
For the most part, highway safety is viewed as a public health or quality of
life issue in the countries visited. In all cases, this viewpoint started with
the national government's clear support of safety programs. A number of approaches
have brought the issue of highway safety to the forefront for local governments
and the general public. These include major advertising campaigns, accident
commissions, financial incentives, and the direct involvement of local representatives
in creating national and local safety plans.
At least two countries the team visited have a roadway safety philosophy, concept,
or slogan. This serves as a focal point for roadway safety discussions among
transportation professionals, agencies, and the general public, and helps make
safety a common point of discussion. Opinions differ, of course, on the choice
of a national philosophy, concept, or slogan. Some transportation officials
believe that if an overarching safety philosophy is not selected or communicated
properly, it may do more harm than good to the relationship between transportation
professionals and the general public.
COMPREHENSIVE AND COORDINATED SAFETY PLANS AND GOALS
All of the countries the team visited take a proactive approach to highway
safety that includes a fully integrated and nationally accepted comprehensive
safety plan. Normally, these plans are created through a coordinated effort
of communication and input from all levels of government and other organizations
involved in roadway safety. With this approach, individuals, agencies, and groups
involved in actual application of safety improvements gain a vested interest
in successful implementation of plan measures. In all the countries, local governments
have most of the responsibility for safety improvement implementation, and their
cooperative and effective involvement is necessary to achieve national safety
goals and targets.
Three out of four countries have specific fatality and injury reduction targets
in their national safety plans. These targets serve not only as a focal point
for the safety improvement approach followed, but also for the safety measures
recommended and implemented. Strong national leadership and significant financial
support for safety improvements, combined with comprehensive involvement of
the safety community, are keys to success.
The national safety plans typically form the basis for other safety plans and
targets. In many of the countries visited, state departments of transportation
and local governments develop and sometimes are required to create their own
safety plans. Most of these lower-level plans consider the measures and targets
expressed nationally, and then describe how a particular agency intends to improve
roadway safety. The plans take into account the agency's existing resources,
identify safety related measures it could implement, and set a specific safety
target for the jurisdiction. Typically, these targets are the same as the national
goals, but in some cases they are not. Normally, monitoring of progress toward
local and national safety targets is required.
HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAM ELEMENTS
Several elements of highway safety programs in the countries the scanning team
visited share similarities. These activities and approaches are key components
to the effective application of the safety plan in these countries and past
reductions in roadway fatalities and injuries. Some safety activities observed
in more than one of the countries visited include:
Many items listed have been implemented in some form in the United States.
Compliance with regulations related to these program elements in the countries
visited appears to be significant, although no specific information was provided.
HIGHWAY SAFETY SUPPORT ACTIVITIES
One factor in each country that has a significant impact on the success of
the highway safety program is the existence of strong, effective support activities.
For example, each country does a significant amount of safety data collection
and analysis. The results of these activities are used to determine appropriate
national and local safety targets and to show how they can be achieved. In addition,
results are used to indicate the impacts of existing or planned safety improvements,
and allow evaluation of these impacts for effectiveness. These support activities
also allow the performance of the agencies implementing safety measures to be
measured, and in at least one case the result of this analysis has financial
incentive impacts. The data collected and analyzed help determine the general
approach and specific measures used to influence roadway safety, such as black
spot versus corridor or area-wide implementation.
Each country provides significant funding to highway safety research agencies
for their active technical support, expertise, and policy analysis capabilities.
In addition, substantial intellectual capacity and support are directed toward
the highway safety field. In several cases, a significant portion of the funding
to roadway safety research organizations and nongovernmental organizations is
also from the national government. Nongovernmental organizations, for the most
part, participate directly in the highway safety programming and plan development
decision-making process. They often challenge governmental approaches or operate
as a watchdog for the general public on roadway safety.
Common Safety Program Themes
Highway Safety as a Public Health or Quality of Life Issue
Comprehensive and Coordinated Safety Plans and Goals
Highway Safety Program Elements
Highway Safety Support Activities
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