COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Targeted action on urban road safety Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Together towards competitive and resource-efficient urban mobility
Date: 2013-12-17
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: accident prevention, pedestrian, road safety, transport accident, urban area, urban transport













EUR-Lex - 52013SC0525 - EN











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52013SC0525

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Targeted action on urban road safety Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Together towards competitive and resource-efficient urban mobility /* SWD/2013/0525 final */









COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT
Targeted action on urban road safety
Accompanying the document
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
Together towards competitive and
resource-efficient urban mobility
              I.       Introduction
In EU urban areas, pedestrians, cyclists,
motorcyclists, car drivers and public transport compete for the limited space.
The same person can be a pedestrian, a biker and a driver all in one day: going
to and from work or school, running errands and using the streets during
leisure time. The constant interaction between unprotected or vulnerable
road users and moving vehicles creates situations where people are regularly
put at risk. Urban road safety is therefore to a large degree an issue of vulnerable
road user safety.
Some 11,000 people are killed each year in
road traffic crashes in EU urban areas. 37% of these are pedestrians. In
addition, many more people are seriously injured, sustaining life-changing
injuries. Road safety statistics show that progress in reducing road fatalities
has been below average in urban areas.[1]

In urban areas, the restricted space must
be used intelligently and effectively to enable increased mobility without compromising
safety. To achieve this, a dedicated focus on road safety aspects throughout
all levels of urban mobility planning is required.
Some of the EU cities and towns are already
well advanced in managing urban road safety issues. Others face more difficult
challenges. This document aims to support those urban areas that have not yet developed
a strong mobility safety culture. The aim is never to put limits to those who
already perform well on road safety, but to raise the minimum levels and
thereby help closing the gap between the safest and the less safe EU urban
areas. 
              II.      Statistics and
trends[2]
In spite of considerable progress in the
past, the number of fatalities and serious injuries from road accidents remains
high. In 2012, around 28,000 people were reported to have died in road traffic
crashes in the Union. About 40% of these fatalities occurred on urban roads. 
Between 2000 and 2009, the number of road
fatalities inside urban areas decreased by 32%. The number of road fatalities on
other roads decreased by 38% for the same period. Therefore, urban road deaths
now make up a larger share of the total road safety problem compared to ten
years ago.
Around half of the 11,000 urban road deaths
per year are pedestrians and cyclists. 
People aged 65 years or more are clearly
over-represented in fatal accidents in urban areas. In 30% of all fatal
accidents in urban areas, the victim is elderly.
              III.    Commission
policy objectives
The Transport White Paper[3] sets the target of moving close to zero fatalities in road transport by 2050. The
interim target is to halve road casualties by 2020 as compared to the numbers
in 2010. 
The Commission has also identified seven specific
work areas for road safety in the Communication "Towards a European road
safety area: policy orientations on road safety 2011-2020"[4]:
(1)                   
Improve education and training of road users
(2)                   
Increase enforcement of road rules
(3)                   
Safer road infrastructure
(4)                   
Safer vehicles
(5)                   
Promote the use of modern technology to increase
road safety
(6)                   
Improve emergency and post-injuries services
(7)                   
Protect vulnerable road users
Urban road safety is a horizontal aspect of
all these seven work areas; however, the most direct link is between urban road
safety and the safety of vulnerable road users as the biggest risks for these
road users are inside built-up areas. Vulnerable road
user safety cannot be efficiently addressed without focusing on urban area road
safety.
Also the other EU institutions call for
specific attention to these road safety issues. The resolution of the European
Parliament of 27 September 2011 on European road safety 2011-2020[5] called for a particular
focus on the road safety of vulnerable road users and for improved framework
conditions for safer and more environmentally benign transport, such as walking,
cycling, bus or rail, so as to encourage their use.
The Council Conclusions on road safety,
adopted in Brussels, 2–3 December 2010[6],
stressed that certain categories of users, such as cyclists, pedestrians, young
and elderly persons, people with disabilities, motorcycle riders and moped
drivers, remain particularly vulnerable; and considered action for the safety
of these vulnerable road users to be a matter of urgency.
Links between road safety and other urban
mobility aspects
Road safety is closely interlinked with
other Commission policy objectives. For example, cities who want to encourage a
modal shift to more sustainable transport modes such as walking and
cycling should make sure that these are safe options, so that the modal shift
does not compromise safety. Access restriction zones such as low-speed zones
may contribute not only to environmental objectives but also to increased urban
road safety. 
Greater physical activity levels as a
result of increased participation in cycling and walking, through leisure time
or through active commuting, may also lead to improvements in population
health beyond those directly attributable to reductions in road accidents.
There is also a link between road safety
and congestion: car crashes lead to more congestion and interruption of
traffic flows. Safer streets, vehicles and drivers can therefore be elements in
a policy to combat city congestion.
Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) are tools not only for freight logistics and passenger
comfort but also for road safety. Intelligent systems such as
vehicle-to-vehicle or vehicle-to-infrastructure communication can be well used
for safety purposes.
City logistics and commercial vehicles are also linked to urban road safety. Unsafe
deliveries by heavy and light goods vehicles and the presence of for example
heavy construction vehicles in urban zones can pose specific threats to
unprotected road users. While heavy goods vehicles have the potential of
causing more damage because of their weight, the safety requirements for them
are also stricter than for light goods vehicles, both with regard to
professional driver qualifications and mandatory in-vehicle safety systems. 
To effectively address all these interlinked
issues, road safety needs to be an integral part of sustainable urban mobility planning.
              IV.    Urban road
safety: main issues
The main characteristic of urban road
traffic from a safety point of view is the frequent and close interaction
between unprotected and motorised road users. 
The main risk factors in road traffic
crashes are linked to road user behaviours, the safety of the infrastructure
and the safety of vehicles. The post-crash emergency response can also affect
the outcome of a road traffic crash.
Safe driver behaviour includes for
example to avoid dangerous traffic offences such as driving under the influence
of drugs or alcohol, crossing red lights, failure to wear a seatbelt and
speeding. These four offences alone are estimated to be responsible for around 70%
of all fatal road traffic crashes. Errors in traffic might be caused by
external distractions or the road user being in an unsafe state, e.g. because
of fatigue or intoxication. All road user categories can behave dangerously,
including the vulnerable road users themselves. Safety measures that may be
taken by vulnerable road users include the use of available protection devices
such as bike helmets for cyclists or reflectors for increased visibility for
pedestrians.
Bicycle
helmet campaign – Germany
A national
campaign for bicycle safety is launched in Germany: Ich trag' Helm – "I
wear helmet". A biking tour with role model "helmet heroes" set
out from in September 2013 to increase visibility of the campaign.[7]
Infrastructure
safety for vulnerable road users is about the way
roads and streets are designed to avoid or facilitate the interaction between
the motorised road users and the vulnerable ones. Urban road networks are dense
with crossings and junctions where the risk of conflicts between road users is
particularly high.
Black-spot
mapping in urban road safety plan – Madrid, Spain
The Madrid
City Council is a signatory to the European Road Safety Charter. In their urban
road safety plan Plan de seguridad vial 2012-2020, a black-spot mapping
revealed that 20% of the serious road traffic crashes occurred on the same 21
roads.[8]
Vehicle safety includes the design, the maintenance and the equipment of a vehicle.
Powered two-wheelers are of specific interest in this regard as they are both
motorised vehicles themselves and considered as vulnerable road users, lacking
the protective shell of a car. Small powered two-wheelers such as mopeds and
scooters are also increasingly common in urban road traffic and therefore of
specific interest for urban road safety. Cities might also pay special
attention to heavy vehicles that, in the case of a crash, will cause severe
injuries to affected vulnerable road users.
Procurement
of safe garbage trucks – Copenhagen, Denmark
The city of
Copenhagen is working on guidelines for procurement of garbage collecting services,
requiring that the garbage trucks used should be designed to maximise the
safety of surrounding vulnerable road users, e.g. with glass doors for
increasing the driver's field of vision.
The emergency response can be a
decisive factor in determining whether a road user survives the crash or not.
Rapid and efficient emergency response saves lives and reduces the severity of
injuries. Until now, the real scope of the serious road traffic injury problem
has only been roughly estimated in the EU and targeted actions specifically on
the serious injuries have been limited.
Urban road safety planning
In order to reach the EU targets of halving
road deaths by 2020, road safety must be a prioritised issue by all relevant
stakeholders, including at the local level. Sustainable urban mobility plans could
be a useful tool to contribute to this objective.
Road safety is most efficiently addressed
by being taken into account at all levels of planning and implementation of
urban mobility. A recommended road safety management practice is also to ensure
monitoring and follow-up by relevant performance indicators[9]. For example, local
targets for the reduction of road fatalities and serious road traffic injuries
can be adopted to support follow-up of a sustainable urban mobility plan.
Urban road safety efforts usually cover the
following main road safety action areas: education and training; enforcement;
safe infrastructure; safe vehicles; use of modern technology; post-crash
emergency response; and the safety of vulnerable road users. 
              V.      Next steps
The Commission will,
during 2014-2015, gather and disseminate good practice examples for road safety
planning, as well as analyse measures for reducing the number of serious road
traffic injuries in urban areas.
The Member States
should consider ensuring that Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans take account of
road safety aspects as a horizontal issue, at all steps of the planning process
and address appropriately issues like safe urban infrastructure, especially for
vulnerable road users, the use of modern technology for enhanced urban road
safety, traffic rules enforcement, and road safety education. Member States
should also consider ensuring proper gathering of data on road safety
indicators at the most detailed level possible and encourage local authorities
to use such data for local analysis and road safety planning.
              VI.     Conclusion
Urban road safety will be an increasingly
important issue as the urbanisation of Europe continues. The number of
vulnerable road users will not decrease; they should even increase with the
shift to more sustainable transport modes.
The complex risks of urban road traffic can
only be reduced by dedicated efforts throughout the urban mobility planning
process, using the whole range of available tools. Sustainable urban mobility
will only be achieved if fully taking into account the road safety aspects.
[1]               EU
road traffic safety database CARE, http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/specialist/statistics/index_en.htm

[2]               All
data from the EU road traffic safety database CARE, http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/specialist/statistics/index_en.htm

[3]               COM
(2011) 144 final: Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area – Towards a
competitive and resource efficient transport system, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2011:0144:FIN:EN:PDF

[4]               COM (2010) 389 final, http://ec.europa.eu/transport/road_safety/pdf/com_20072010_en.pdf

[5]               2010/2235(INI), http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&reference=P7-TA-2011-0408&language=EN&ring=A7-2011-0264

[6]               Council Conclusions on Road Safety from the 3052nd
Council meeting on Transport, Telecommunications and Energy, 2-3 December 2010,
Brussels, http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_PRES-10-326_en.htm

[7]               http://www.ich-trag-helm.de
[8]               http://www.madrid.es
[9]               International Standardisation Organisation, Road
traffic safety (RTS) management systems — Requirements with guidance for use,
2012, Ref no: ISO 39001:2012(E)