(6)

the following Articles are inserted: ‘Article 6a Follow-up of procedures for roads in operation 1. Member States shall ensure that the findings of network-wide road safety assessments carried out pursuant to Article 5 are followed up either by targeted road safety inspections or by direct remedial action. 2. When carrying out targeted road safety inspections Member States may take into account the indicative elements set out in Annex IIa. 3. Targeted road safety inspections shall be carried out by expert teams. At least one member of the expert team shall meet the requirements set out in point (a) of Article 9(4). 4. Member States shall ensure that the findings of targeted road safety inspections are followed up by reasoned decisions determining if remedial action is necessary. In particular, Member States shall identify road sections where road infrastructure safety improvements are necessary and define actions to be prioritised for improving the safety of those road sections. 5. Member States shall ensure that remedial action is targeted primarily at road sections with low safety levels and which offer the opportunity for the implementation of measures with high potential for safety development and accident cost savings. 6. Member States shall prepare and regularly update a risk-based prioritised action plan to track the implementation of identified remedial action. Article 6b Protection of vulnerable road users Member States shall ensure that the needs of vulnerable road users are taken into account in the implementation of the procedures set out in Articles 3 to 6a. Article 6c Road markings and road signs 1. Member States shall pay specific attention, in their existing and future procedures for road markings and road signs, to readability and detectability for human drivers and automated driver assistance systems. Such procedures shall take into account common specifications where such common specifications have been established in accordance with paragraph 3. 2. A group of experts established by the Commission shall, at the latest by June 2021, assess the opportunity to establish common specifications including different elements aiming at ensuring the operational use of road markings and road signs in order to foster the effective readability and detectability of road markings and road signs for human drivers and automated driver assistance systems. That group shall be formed by experts designated by the Member States. The assessment shall include a consultation of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. The assessment shall take into consideration in particular the following elements: (a) the interaction between various driver assistance technologies and infrastructure; (b) the effect of the weather and atmospheric phenomena as well as traffic on road markings and road signs present on the Union territory; (c) the type and frequency of maintenance efforts necessary for various technologies, including an estimate of costs. 3. Taking into account the assessment referred to in paragraph 2, the Commission may adopt implementing acts to establish common specifications, relating to Member States' procedures referred to in paragraph 1 aiming at ensuring the operational use of their road markings and road signs, with regard to the effective readability and detectability of road markings and road signs for human drivers and automated driver assistance systems. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 13(2). The implementing acts referred to in the first subparagraph shall be without prejudice to the competence of the European Committee for Standardization regarding standards for road markings and road signs. Article 6d Information and transparency The Commission shall publish a European map of the road network within the scope of this Directive, accessible online, highlighting different categories as referred to in Article 5(6). Article 6e Voluntary reporting Member States shall endeavour to establish a national system for the purpose of voluntary reporting, accessible online to all road users, to facilitate the collection of details of occurrences transmitted by road users and vehicles, and of any other safety-related information which is perceived by the reporter as an actual or potential hazard to road infrastructure safety.’;