BIKE PAL project
European Commission DG MOVE
Luana Bidasca Policy Officer
European Transport Safety Council
Brussels 6th December 2012
Ü Promoting an independent science-based approach to road safety policy
Ü Supported in our work by 46 member organisations across Europe
Ü Funded by our members, the European Commission, corporate sponsors and Member States
Ü Bringing together practitioners, researchers, policy-makers and parliamentarians from across the whole of the EU
Φ www.etsc.eu Ε
Introduction to ETSC
ETSC Activities
Safe & Sober Drink-driving policy network
Road Safety Performance Index (PIN) - Ranking EU countries‘ performances
Bike Pal Cycling Safety
Road Safety ‘At’ Work and ‘To’ Work
Monitoring EU
transport safety policy
STudents Acting to
Reduce Speed
EU ambition: road safety/CO2 Targets
Cut by 50% yearly road deaths between 2011-2020
Reduce by 20% green house gas emissions by 2020
EU targets
BIKE PAL project
A three-year project which aims to: • Evaluate the state of play concerning cycling safety; • Gather good practice in increasing safety levels for
this group of vulnerable road users; • Disseminate knowledge to decision-makers and
interested individuals • Motivate students to take action at local level • Design, develop and implement local, cost-effective
safe cycling projects
State of cyclists’ (un)safety in the EU (1)
Relative developments in cyclists’ road deaths and the number of other road deaths in EU countries over the 2001-2010 period.
Cyclist deaths reduced at a lower pace than those for all road users, cyclists facing higher risks
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2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
cyclist deaths non-‐cyclist deaths
-‐39%
-‐43%
-‐20.00%
-‐15.00%
-‐10.00%
-‐5.00%
0.00%
5.00%
EU average -‐5.1%
Average annual percentage change in cyclist deaths over the period 2001-2010
State of cyclists’ (un)safety in the EU (2)
Male cyclists involved in more deadly collisions
In the EU 78% of the cyclists killed are male.
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male female
Children (0-14) and young people (15-24) mortality
• EU: total cycling mortality 4.6 • Mortality in 0-14 age group 1.5 (per million population) • Mortality in 15-24 age group 2.6 (per million population)
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Road
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0-‐14 EU average 1.5
all ages EU average 4.4
15-‐24 EU average 2.6
The elderly have a higher mortality than the rest of the cycling population
EU: total cycling mortality 4.6 Mortality in 25-64 age group 3.9
Mortality in 65 and over age group 10.6
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25-‐64 EU average 3.9
all ages EU average 4.6
65-‐ EU average 10.6
27 39
Cyclists face high risks in urban areas
In the EU 56% of cyclist deaths are in urban areas.
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urban non-‐urban Unknown
Cyclists and traffic
52% of cyclist deaths follow collisions with cars/taxis 22% after collisions with goods/public transport vehicle
13% solo accidents (bike only); 4% PTW; 9.7% other vehicles
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Cycle only Car or taxi PTW Goods or public transport vehicle Other vehicle
Safety in numbers for cyclists
Correlation between distance cycled and safety...
But people must feel safe to cycle
NO* DK
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SE†
GB
y = 42.642x-0.201 R² = 0.4478
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Km cycled per person-year
Recommendations: infrastructure and speed
• Maximum speed limit should be set at 30km/h on roads used by cyclists and pedestrians.
• Integration of cyclists in motorised traffic where the travel speed of motorised traffic does not pose a significant risk to the unprotected road users.
• Cycle traffic and motorised traffic should be physically separated where the speed of the latter is too big
• Lower speed limits should be introduced for junctions and intersections
• European Commission and the Member States should prioritise the large-scale deployment of Intelligent Speed Adaptation as a measure to improve road safety in general, as well as the safety of cyclists.
Recommendations: policy
• Use the provisions of the ITS Directive and the ITS Action plan as levers to spur innovation to improve the safety of cyclists.
• further research into the effectiveness of measures to reduce blind spot-areas around HGVs and to alert road users of impending near-side turning collisions
• rigid side underrun protection systems should become mandatory and that the strength of such systems be increased to also increase their efficiency in collisions with powered two-wheel vehicles.
• The upcoming revision of Directive 96/53/EC on maximum allowed weights and dimensions of trucks in international circulation could and should be seen as an opportunity to optimise truck cab design to improve the safety of HGVs.
Recommendations: cyclists
• Lighting systems of bicycles should ensure the highest level of consipicuity for the riders, thus making them visible for other traffic road users.
• The braking system, and the bicycle’s drive train more generally, should be kept in good condition so as to ensure rider’s highest level of safety and comfort available. The mechanical parts of the bicycle should function in such a way that the rider’s attention can be fully focused on interacting with traffic.
• Standards for testing bicycle helmets are revised to offer high levels of protection. Moreover, research should be undertaken into designing helmets to protect the cyclist in a real world environment.
• Current definition of pedelecs – with a design speed of 25 km/h and a maximum power of the electric assist of 0.25 KW which is cut when the vehicle reaches its design speed – should be maintained.
How to improve cyclists’ safety – good practice from the EU
• Traffic calming, low speed areas, cycling streets
How to improve cyclists’ safety – good practice from the EU Dedicated cycling infrastructure: • Contra-flow cycling on one way
streets; • Cycle lanes; • Cycle tracks; • Advanced stop lines; • Safe crossing facilities; • And many more...
Next steps for ‘BIKE PAL’
1. University lecture tour to recruit students
2. Students apply online to take part in BIKE PAL
3. CAMP: students with the best project ideas attend a one-week training course in Brussels, all costs included
4. Challenge: after returning to their home country in groups of two, students carry a cycling safety activity with the support of ETSC and its partners
5. European Award Ceremony: Best projects receive award and proper promotion and follow-up is ensured
Thank you for your attention! For more information on
European Transport Safety Council www.etsc.eu
www.etsc.eu/bike-pal.php [email protected]
Tel.: + 32 230 41 06