S O L - S A V E O U R L I V E S . A C O M P R E H E N S I V E R O A D S A F E T Y S T R A T E G Y F O R C E N T R A L E U R O P E

STRATEGIES AND ACTION PLAN DEAR READERS

THE SOL eMAGAZINE

The SOL eMAGAZINE is produced by the SOL consor-

tium. All articles are written by the SOL partners. The

responsibility for all contents and statements made

lies with the authors. The eMagazine does not repre-

sent the opinion of the European Communities. The

project „SOL – Save our Lives“ in the Central Europe

Program www.central2013.eu is co-financed by the

European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Find more about SOL on: www.sol-project.eu

Welcome to the fourth issue of the SOL project

eMagazine. Before this summer, Project Part-

ners carried on a transnational road safety as-

sessment on their regions:

With these data we have now elaborated strategies

and Action Plans for our Communities, supported

by all the relevant national, regional and local stake-

holders. These should be inspirational, motivating,

and will get local commitment for road safety im-

provements. In the current issue of the newsletter,

you can also learn more about our Italian Lead part-

ner ALOT, the Agency of East Lombardy for Trans-

port and Logistics, created in 2008 by the provinces

of Brescia, Bergamo, Cremona and Mantova for the

improvement of mobility in their territories, and the

Pilot Areas of Brescia and Mantova, located in the

Eastern part of Lombardy Region.

Enjoy reading

Alberto Milotti Project Manager SOL

A “Strategy for Road Safety” is very relevant

for all local communities. It must look for-

ward and aim to stay relevant for a period of

time – around 5 years is usual. The strategy

The data analysis should be as quantitative

as possible and identify the most important

risk factors, which then need to be consi-

dered in terms of solutions and the cost of

achieving the benefits.

The aim of the strategy is to ensure, as far

as possible, that the actions proposed are

part of an optimised road safety interventi-

on programme that gives the best value for

money. The strategy must be supported by

all the relevant stakeholders. It should be

inspirational, motivating, and get local com-

mitment for road safety improvements. The

attitudes and behaviours of the local popula-

must, as far as possible, be evidence-based,

since “the better the data, the better the

strategy will be”.

tion are most important. The strategy needs

to remember that any interventions must be

acceptable to and preferably actively wanted

by the local communities. Local media can

be a vital stakeholder in getting local sup-

port.

With the Action Plans PPs can better define

the content, timing and objectives of their pi-

lot projects in each communities. The Action

Plan set the Risk factor, the main measures

to be carried out, the location and the stake-

holders involved by the pilot and finally the

measuring instruments (KPI).

ISSUE No. 04 DECEMBER 2011

Picture: FGM-AMOR

Road safety is all about people, their attitudes

and behaviours. Changing people’s attitudes and

behaviours is difficult, but it can be done. Our ob-

jective is to make people aware of the dangers

and to act more responsibly. Our biggest ally in

One good example is Slovenia where the national

SOL partner AMZS has established an active part-

nership with the media. They work closely with

journalists on the national, regional and commu-

nity levels. Here they share a common objective

– the prevention of road crash death and injury

in Slovenia. The role of the media partners is to

communicate with the public and mobilise support

for road safety, and they do this with enthusiasm.

Most recently they have extended this partnership

to include cooperation on programmes such as

EuroRAP, SOL and improving the efficiency of the

justice system with road victim organisations as

Zavod Varna Pot. The results have been impressive.

In EuroRAP, the media partners shared messages

changing attitudes is the media and it is often

the most underrated road safety measure. Good

press coverage can raise awareness of the road

safety problems and energise local communities

to demand something be done about it.Thanks to recent efforts involv‑

ing the media, there is recogni‑

tion by the legislation that soci‑

ety suffers tremendous losses

when such cases go unresolved

for years, legislation has been

changed and discussions are

underway to bring court practic‑

es inline with international good

practice.

from stakeholders about high risk roads and pos-

sible solutions. Now EuroRAP recommendations

have been integrated into the national road safety

programme including very concrete improvement

activities. In regards to SOL, the media has helped

to reach and involve more organisations and peo-

ple in community road safety efforts. With road

victims, the media has helped to mobilise public

support for reducing the amount of time required

to resolve a case in the court system, in which a

person was killed or seriously injured. Previously

such cases often took 5-10 years to resolve. Af-

ter involving the media, the legislation recognised

that society suffers tremendous losses when such

cases go unresolved for years.

December 2011 ISSUE No. 04

Picture: carsharing.at

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ROAD SAFETY AND MEDIA WORK

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THE SOL WEBSITE

MINISTERS OF HEALTH APPROVE ACTION PLAN TO REDUCE TRAFFIC INJURIES IN THE USA

Ministers of health of the Americas have ap-

proved a new plan of action on road safety de-

signed to prevent traffic injuries, the leading

The plan was approved during the 51st Directing

Council meeting of the Pan American Health Or-

ganization (PAHO) this week. It calls on countries

to update legislation to address the principal

risk factors of traffic injuries: excessive speed,

alcohol consumption, and the use of seat belts,

helmets, and child restraints. Other priority ac-

tions include promoting policies on public and

nonmotorised transportation, improving pre-

hospital care services for the injured as well as

urban and road infrastructure, and encouraging

industry to adopt technical inspection systems

for all vehicles in circulation to ensure compli-

ance with safety standards.

In the USA, 80% of road traffic victims are

males. Each year, traffic accidents cause some

140,000 deaths and 5 million injuries. Of these

deaths, 39% occur among pedestrians, cyclists,

and motorcyclists, while 47% are motor vehicle

occupants. In addition to making victims and

their families suffer, traffic crashes are a major

burden on health services and cause economic

costs for society as a whole. Traffic injuries cost

the United States an estimated US$99 million

(2005) and cost Brazil some US$10 million an-

nually, representing about 1.2% of the country’s

gross domestic product.

The PAHO road safety plan approved this week

proposes a series of actions for countries to car-

ry out over the next five years, including:

• Appoint a government advisory committee or

other lead agency responsible for multisectoral

coordination of measures to promote road safe-

ty, with special focus on national plans for the

Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020).

cause of death to children aged 5 to 14 in the

hemisphere and the second-leading cause of

death for people aged 15 to 44.

• Implement measures to reduce risk factors

including speed; use of alcohol, drugs, and other

psychoactive substances; and distractions.

Recommended measures include speed limits,

stipulations on the legally allowable blood alco-

hol levels for drivers, and bans on driving while

under the influence of psychoactive substances.

• Increase the use of protective equipment,

particularly helmets, seat belts, and child safety

seats.

• Ensure the availability of organized and inte-

grated pre-hospital care services for victims of

road traffic injuries.

• Improve the quality of data on road traffic in-

cidents to provide better information on victims,

crash determinants, environmental factors, and

victim outcomes.

• Improve transit infrastructure to increase

safety for all users of urban roads and highways,

particularly pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcy-

clists.

• Create or strengthen a technical inspection

system for all vehicles in circulation, including

two- and three-wheel vehicles. At the same

time, encouraging industry to bring their safety

standards into line with the recommendations of

Member States.

PAHO was established in 1902 and works with

all the countries of the Americas to improve the

health and quality of life of the people of the

Americas. It also serves as the Regional Office

for the Americas of the World Health Organiza-

tion (WHO).

In the USA, 80% of road traffic

victims are males. Each year,

traffic accidents cause some

140,000 deaths and 5 million in‑

juries. Of these deaths, 39% oc‑

cur among pedestrians, cyclists,

and motorcyclists, while 47%

are motor vehicle occupants.

THE SOL PROJECT PARTNERS: ALOT

ALOT, the Agency of East Lombardy for

Transport and Logistics, was founded in

2008 by the provinces of Brescia, Bergamo,

Cremona and Mantova for the promotion of

local infrastructure, logistics and transport

services in Eastern Lombardy as well as for

One of ALOT’s primary objectives is to develop

new infrastructure and transport services and im-

plement effective action plans, through a dialogue

among Administrations, industrial/transport com-

panies and operators.

The company focuses on the creation of a knowl-

edge base for freight transport and local mobility

and its aim is also to support and release the best

initiatives in the field of mobility and transport, in

order to create a real culture in the local produc-

tion area. Road safety is one of the areas of activ-

ity of ALOT, with specific focus on safety in public

transport and on heavy vehicles: main objectives

are the increase of the involvement of promotion

the improvement of mobility at all. It has

been planned as a developer and manager

of projects for sustainable mobility on a lo-

cal and European level, through skills and

knowledge transfer on a local, inter-regional

and transnational level.

campaigns in road safety activities as well as

the strengthening of relationships with the main

stakeholders in the process of road safety devel-

opment in East Lombardy.

The main strategic functions are the development

of innovative technological and operative solutions

to promote the modal shift and the road traffic re-

duction; the promotion and diffusion of logistics

competences in the four provinces; the realisa-

tion of different international projects to achieve

an increase of knowledge and doing something

concrete in mobility, safety, environment protec-

tion, and other topics connected to transports and

logistics.

One of ALOT’s primary objective

is to develop new infrastructure

and transport services and im‑

plement effective action plans,

through a dialogue among Ad‑

ministrations, industrial/trans‑

port companies and operators.

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December 2011 ISSUE No. 04

Picture: FGM-AMOR

THE SOL P ILOT AREAS: BRESCIA AND MANTOVA

The Province of Brescia, with a population of

1.100.000 inhabitants, 206 local municipali-

ties and six mountain communities is one of

the largest in Italy and it is also one of the few

Provinces that managed to halve road deaths

The attention is given to the training of drivers in

public transport and on increasing the safety of

the bus stops along two test-lines. The campaign

will integrate road safety inspections of bus stops

with awareness raising of dangerous situations

involving different road users in proximity of

dedicated bus stops. Issues concerning vehicle

safety (alcohol locks or other devices) and work

related road safety could also be under examina-

tion. The pilot will be focused on infrastructural

issues and on the safety role that a correct loca-

tion and design of bus stops and of related pe-

destrian ways can play in the whole transporta-

tion network.

The province of Mantua has been characterized

for a long time by its focus on sustainable mobil-

ity, the transport of goods and the objective of

in line with the EU 2010 Objective. In the case

of the Province of Brescia efforts have to be in

line with a broader vision of the mobility sys-

tem, focusing on the revitalisation of the public

transport system.

reducing road accidents. In order to accomplish

this objective black spots have been monitored

and studied along provincial roads. Interven-

tions were planned in line with existing provincial

plans. The Province has been committed to road

safety since many years by means of planning

and implementation of pilot actions and aware-

ness raising prevention campaigns aimed at

creating a culture of road safety that will raise

users’ awareness of road risks. The Province has

also undertaken several initiatives of prevention,

information and enforcement for reducing ac-

cidents involving heavy good vehicles. Special

attention is given to the improvement of truck

drivers’ behavior and to enhancing road safety by

preventing dangerous situations involving trucks

especially in the surroundings of urban areas.

The project SOL shall help to prevent road

crashes, deaths and injuries in the Central Europe

Space (CEUS). In 12 pilot areas of the 7 countries

Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slo-

venia, Italy and Austria targeted strategies will be

developed implementing effective programmes to

build a transnational road safety network. Find

detailed informations to all pilot areas on the

website of SOL: www.sol-project.eu

THE PILOT AREAS OF SOL:

• Poland: Olsztyn, Barczewo, Nidzica

• Czech Republic: Region of Liberec

• Slovakia: City of Prešov and Region of Prešov

‑ Selfgovernment County

• Hungary: City of Gyor

• Slovenia: Tolmin, Kočevje and Maribor

• Italy: Province of Brescia and Mantua

• Austria: Province of Styria

THE P ILOT AREAS OF THE PROJECT SOL

GERMANYCZECH REPUBLIC

AUSTRIA

ITALY

SLOVAKIA

POLAND

SLOVENIA

HUNGARY

The SOL Countries

Picture: A.L.O.T.

Picture: A.L.O.T.

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SOL – A COMPREHENSIVE ROAD SAFETY STRATEGY FOR CENTRAL EUROPE

The main goal of the project is to promote

sustainable mobility and increase awareness

for safety issues as well as contributing to the

achievement of higher quality of living condi-

tions.

The approach of SOL sees Road-Safety within

the context of sustainable mobility, i.e. to make

walking and cycling safe and to promote a modal

shift from the private car to public transport.

SOL unites some of the most competent RS or-

ganisations from CEUS and worldwide, among

them the Global Road Safety Patnership (GRPS).

The multi-sector partners from eight countries

of CEUS have jointly developed a strategy that

supports the region in catching up with highest

EU standards in Road Safety.

A.L.O.T. Agency of East Lombardy for Transport and Logistics (Italy)

Austria Mobility Research FGM-AMOR (Austria)

Province of Styria – Traffic Department (Austria)

University of Tuebingen, Institute of Geography (Germany)

HBH Projekt spol. s r.o. (Czech Republic)

ITS Motor Transport Institute(Poland)

University of Zilina(Slovakia)

Global Road Safety Partnership Hungary(Hungary)

KTI Institute for Transport Sciences(Hungary)

Automobile Association of Slovenia(Slovenia)

ZAS – The Association of the Driving Schools in the Slovak Republic (Slovakia)

WORD Olsztyn organization(Poland)

12 PROJECT PARTNERS FROM 8 COUNTRIES OF CENTRAL EUROPE

The project „SOL – Save our Lives“ in the Central Europe Program www.central2013.eu

is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Imprint:

Texts: Alberto Milotti, A.L.O.T.; Robert Štaba, AMZS Slovenia and Chris Lines, GRSP; WHO, www.who.int; Volker Hoffmann, FGM-AMOR

Design by FGM-AMOR

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December 2011 ISSUE No. 04