THE SOL eMAGAZINE

ISSUE No. 01 FEBR UARY 2011

SOL - SAVE OUR LIVES. A COMPREHENSIVE ROAD SAFETY STRATEGY FOR CENTRAL EUROPE

THE SOL eMAGAZINE The SOL eMAGAZINE is produced by the SOL consortium. All articles are written by the SOL partners. The responsibility for all content and statements made lies with the authors. The eMagazine does not represent 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

Picture: GRSP

SOL - A C O M P R E H E N S I V E R OA D S AFETY STRATEGY FOR C E N T R A L E U R O P E

DEAR READERS

In the WHO’s European region, road

cause of death among 5 to 29 year olds. In

The Central European Space depends on mobi-

crashes cause more than 120,000 deaths

the EU, road crashes comprise 97% of all

lity. But road traffic crashes take a huge toll in

and 2.4 million injuries per year, accord-

transport-related deaths, more than 93%

terms of deaths and injuries. With the SOL pro-

ing to the World Health Organization (WHO)

of all transport-related crash costs and are

ject we want to help overcome this dilemma.

and an average cost of 2% of a country’s

the leading cause of death and hospital ad-

GDP. Traffic accidents are also the leading

missions for people under 50 years.

Within the project, 13 Partners from 8 countries will test new road safety patterns in 12 pilot

In 2009, more than 35,000 people lost their

ve the number of lives lost on our roads from

projects. Preference shall be given to the preven-

lives on Europe’s roads. While many Western

50,000 to 25,000 per year by 2010, and further

tion of speed related crashes on one hand and to

European countries are making continuous

to 10,000 within 2020. The project “Save our

child road crash injury prevention on the other.

progress in reducing the number of lives lost,

Lives – A Comprehensive Road Safety Strategy

We would like to generate a continuous coopera-

fatality rates in many New Member States

for Central Europe”(SOL) is supporting twelve

tion among different levels of administration on the

(NMS) in the Central Europe Space (CEUS) re-

pilot communities in eight countries in the re-

one hand, and different local entities from different

main high.

gion, including western Ukraine, to strengthen

CEE Countries on the other, to build up a network

Severe joint efforts will be required by all rele-

their approaches to road safety and sustainab-

made of vertical and horizontal connections.

vant stakeholders on all levels to make a con-

le mobility in order to prevent death and injury

Let me invite you to follow the progress of the

tribution also within CEUS to reach the overall

caused by road crashes. SOL is co-financed by

project. This e-magazine can give you easy to

policy goal set by the European Commission

the European Union through the INTERREG IV

deeply comprehend the processes and results.

(EC) in 2003 for the whole of Europe within

B programme for regional cooperation in the

the 3rd Road Safety Action Programme: to hal-

Central European Space (www.central2013.eu).

Alberto Milotti Project Manager SOL

F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 ISSUE No. 01

Picture: FGM-AMOR

THE R E D U C T I O N O F R OA D C R A S H ES IS THE COM M O N O B J E C T I V E O F T H E E U R OPEAN UNION

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In accordance with the European Commis-

An integrated approach is therefore needed,

sion, lowering the number of road users‘

taking into account synergies with other

casualties is key to improving the overall

policy goals. Road safety policies at local,

performance of the transport system and to

national, European or international level

meet citizens‘ and companies‘ needs and

should integrate relevant objectives of oth-

expectations.

er public policies and vice versa.

The European road safety policy orientations aim

across the Member States, as a necessary con-

to provide a general governance framework and

dition to implement the road safety policy orien-

challenging objectives which should guide na-

tations 2011-2020, in an effective manner,

and

tional or local strategies until 2020. In line with

• a strategy for injuries and first aid to address

which should guide national and

the principle of subsidiarity, actions described

the urgent and growing need to reduce the

local road safety strategies until

should be implemented at the most appropriate

number of road injuries,

2020.

level and through the most appropriate means.

• the improvement of the safety of vulnerable

In the framework of these policy orientations,

road users, in particular motorcyclists for whom

the Commission considers that the three follow-

accidents statistics are particularly worrying.

ing actions should be undertaken as a priority:

For the above mentioned reasons we are con-

• the establishment of a structured coopera-

vinced that the SOL strategy is fully in accompli-

tion framework which draws on best practices

ance with the EU goals, and suggested measures.

The European road safety policy orientations aim to provide a general governance framework challenging

objectives

THE SOL WEBSITE Since the middle of 2010 you can find the SOL website online under www.sol-project.eu!

This website provides you with all the informations about the project, the partners, the pilot areas with planned actions and campaigns.

Furthermore news and events in the field of Road Safety are available. The website will be updated continously, available in all project languages and sections like the best practice examples will be implemented in the near future.

Have a look at: www.sol-project.eu

Picture: iStock

STRAT E G I E S TO P R E V E N T R OA D C RASHES, DEATHS AND I N J U R I E S I N T H E C E N T R A L E UROPE SPACE SOL is a project that will contribute with critical

contribute to the achievement of higher quality of

knowledge, experience and tools to the global

living conditions, to provide professional qualities

road safety effort. The main goal of the project

to local public administrations and experiences &

is to promote sustainable mobility and increase

tools to local public administrations to increase

awareness for safety issues as well as to

the road safety in their competence areas.

The approach of SOL sees road safety within

sources to address the problem;

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

4. Implementing of specific actions to prevent

walking and cycling safe and to promote a mod-

road traffic crashes, minimization of injuries and

el shift from the private car to public transport.

their consequences;

The multi-sector partners have jointly developed

5. Creating a greater level of awareness, commit-

a strategy that supports the region in catching

ment and informed decision-making at all levels;

up with highest EU standards in road safety by:

6. Developing replicable tools for CEUS and the

1. Assessing the problem, policies and institu-

EU;

tional settings relating to road safety and the

7. Putting road safety policies in the context of

capacity for road injury prevention;

promoting sustainable forms of mobility.

2. Strengthening institutions and create effective

For these reasons, we are convinced that the

horizontal and vertical multi-sector partnerships;

“SOL strategy� could be an effective tool for

3. Preparing of regional/local strategies and

CEUS in order to sustain a greater health care

action plans and allocation of endogenous re-

and economic development.

Picture: FGM-AMOR

Picture: iStock

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F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 ISSUE No. 01

Picture: GRSP Hungary

S O L PARTNERS: GLOBAL ROAD SAFETY PARTNER S H I P BRINGS TOGETHER TALENTS OF ALL SECTORS There is no one single answer to the global

partners together to make sure all the key risk

road safety challenge. No one agency, gov-

factors influencing road safety — helmets,

This research allows partners to

ernment, business or humanitarian group can

seatbelts, drinking and driving, speed, road

develop effective campaigns that

tackle this immense, man-made humanitarian

quality, vehicle standards, laws — are ad-

target specific road user groups

crisis on its own. That’s why the Global Road

dressed in a coordinated and efficient manner

with messages that make an

Safety Partnership works to bring all relevant

using globally recognized good practice.

Working GRSP partnerships in numerous coun-

continued,” he says. Following globally recog-

tries around the world provide evidence that

nized good practice, GRSP projects begin with

the approach is effective. In the City of Olzstyn,

base-line studies that allow partners to target

Poland, for example, multi-sector education

their efforts, as well as quantify and analyze

and enforcement efforts reduced drinking and

project results. When GRSP Hungary launched

impact.

“Some

Hungarians

might not know what GRSP is,” notes Balázs Tokár, president of GRSP Hungary. “But practically everyone will know the ‘tomato seat-belt campaign,’ which was

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driving related crashes by 22 percent from

a major seat-belt compliance and promotion

conducted by GRSP Hungary.

2008 to 2009. These kinds of results — more

project, for example, it began the effort by

The impact of that campaign

than 500 lives saved — are one reason that

working with universities and police to conduct

was quite strong and it works to

long-time road safety advocates, such as An-

roadside driver surveys as well as to analyze

this day.

drzej Grzegorczyk, the former director of Po-

historical crash data.

land’s National Road Safety Council, endorse

This research allows partners to develop effec-

partnership efforts. “I hope that thanks to GRSP

tive campaigns that target specific road user

and other road safety partners this trend will be

groups with messages that make an impact.

THE S O L P I L OT A R E A S : G YŐ R I N H UNGARY Győr is one of Hungary’s most dynamically

road network of the settlement connects

developing cities with more than 130.000

Slovakia from the north, Austria from the

inhabitants. It is a mellow and colorful town

west, Lake Balaton from the south and Bu-

with a vibrant cultural and university life.

dapest from the east of the town. The rela-

Győr is situated in the centre of the Vien-

tively new Győr-Pér airport makes the town

na-Budapest-Bratislava triangle. The radial

accessible by air as well.

Győr has always been an important city of

• Setting up / strengthening road safety man-

education. In 1968 the Transportation and Tel-

agement structure

ecommunications Faculty of Technical Sciences

• Entire situational and institutional assessment,

was established. It possesses a very significant

development of road safety programme and

economic potential by its international industrial

community strategy

park, the Audi, the Philips and other well known

• Development of a road safety action plan with

factories. Győr is a constantly changing, devel-

interventions on top priority issues

oping and growing city where the municipality

• Developing specific campaigning material for

plans the directions for the future and the reali-

the pilot area

zation of new economic, cultural, environmental,

• Implementation of the road safety action plan,

traffic and tourism models by involving the en-

• Road Safety public education campaigns on

tire population.

speed, safe routes to school and sustainable

The following main actions will be implemented

mobility

within the frame of the SOL project:

• Plans for continuation of RS measures in each

• Establishment of multi-stakeholder road

pilot area

safety networks

Find more information on the website!

Picture: iStock

Picture: GRSP Hungary

THE P I L OT A R E A S O F T H E P R O J E C T SOL The project SOL shall help to prevent road cra-

THE PILOT AREAS OF SOL:

shes, deaths and injuries in the Central Europe

• Poland: Olsztyn

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

• Czech Republic: Region Liberec and Kromeriz

Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slo-

• Slovakia: City of Prešov and Region of Prešov

venia, Italy and Austria targeted strategies will

-Selfgovernment County

be developed implementing effective program-

• Hungary: City of Gyor

mes to build a transnational road safety network.

• Slovenia: Tolmin, Kočevje and Maribor

Find detailed informations to all pilot areas on

• Italy: Province of Brescia and Mantua

teh website of SOL: www.sol-project.eu

• Austria: Province of Styria

POLAND

GERMANY

CZECH REPUBLIC SLOVAKIA

AUSTRIA

ITALY

HUNGARY

SLOVENIA

The SOL Countries

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F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 ISSUE No. 01

Picture: iStock

P R O M OTING ROAD SAFETY IN EUROPE Internationally, road safety still has a long

action to address the road safety crisis over

way to go, as the World Health Organisation

the next ten years, proclaiming a Decade of

pointed out in its World report on road traf-

Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.

fic injury prevention. Therefore this topic is

In July 2010, the European Commission pub-

quite high on the agenda. In March 2010, the

lished the 4th European Road Safety Action

UN General Assembly decided to increase

Programme.

proclaiming a Decade of Action

As road safety is considered to be everyones

road safety, to European projects dealing with

for Road Safety 2011-2020. In

responsibility, from the local up to the European

road safety and to statistics. Another major

July 2010, the European Com-

level, all organisations, companies, associations

player in Europe is the European Traffic Safety

mission published the 4th Eu-

etc. are invited to sign the European Road Safety

Council (ETSC), which monitors road safety de-

ropean Road Safety Action Pro-

Charter http://www.erscharter.eu/.

velopments in 30 European countries (Road Sa-

gramme.

Read more about the Commissions efforts in

fety Performance IndexRoad Safety Performance

improving road safety on http://ec.europa.eu/

Index or PIN). Each year, ETSC awards the PIN

transport/road_safety/index_en.htm.

Award to a high level policymaker responsible

The European Road Safety Observatory (ERSO),

for the best performing country‘s road safety

first developed as a pilot (2004-2008), has now

policy. In several thematic newsletters, ETSC

been integrated into the Commissions website.

monitors the latest developments in Europe in

It provides an access to European legislation on

the field of road safety.

In March 2010, the UN General Assembly decided to increase action to address the road safety crisis over the next ten years,

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THE S O L V I S I O N S TAT E M E N T In Japanese culture there is a proverb:

ners from the road safety project, Save Our

“Vision without action is a daydream. Action

Lives (SOL), as they worked to create a com-

without vision is a nightmare.” The state-

mon vision to address road safety in Central

ment resonated recently with thirteen part-

Europe.

During an interactive group session, SOL part-

reference point for SOL’s decision making as

ners from eight countries discussed how the

well as our actions on the ground.”

“vision” of an organization can inspire action

The vision will also serve as a valuable cor-

and align individuals to cooperate around a

nerstone for the project SOL; it will remain a

common goal. The end result was SOL’s vision

guiding force for the SOL team to make con-

— A region free of road-crash death and inju-

sistent choices, and ultimately help define the

ry, safe for all road users in every community

success of the project.

— which will be signed into action at a public

“A vision is more than just a list of goals

ceremony in Warsaw, Poland, on 1 March.

and outputs”, stated Agnes Kiss from KTI

“The statement clearly outlines SOL’s goal to

and the Global Road Safety Partnership in

decrease death and injury from road crashes,

Hungary. “It is important to us that with this

not only in the communities where we are

new vision we demonstrate the depth of the

working, but in the Central European Space

Save Our Lives project, and our unwavering

as a whole,” stated Guido Piccolo from ALOT,

commitment to improve the quality of life in

the SOL project leader. “It will serve as a main

local communities”.

Pictures: GRSP

With this vision we are stating clearly that the desired impact, our vision, for SOL is less death and injury from road crashes in the communities we are working in and in the Central European Space as a whole.

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F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 1 ISSUE No. 01

S O L - A C O MPREHENSIVE ROAD SAFETY STRATEGY F O R C E N T R AL EUROPE The main goal of the project is to promote

el shift from the private car to public transport.

sustainable mobility and increase awareness

SOL unites some of the most competent RS or-

for safety issues as well as contributing to the

ganizations from CEUS and worldwide, among

achievement of higher quality of living condi-

them the Global Road Safety Patnership (GRPS).

tions.

The multi-sector partners from eight countries

The approach of SOL sees Road-Safety within

of CEUS have jointly developed a strategy that

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

supports the region in catching up with highest

walking and cycling safe and to promote a mod-

EU standards in Road Safety.

1 2 P R O J E C T PARTNERS FROM 8 COUNTRIES OF C E N T R A L E UROPE A.L.O.T. Agency of East Lombardy for Transport and Logistics (Italy)

University of Zilina (Slovakia)

Austria Mobility Research FGM-AMOR (Austria)

Global Road Safety Partnership Hungary (Hungary)

Province of Styria – Traffic Department (Austria)

KTI Institute for Transport Sciences (Hungary)

University of Tuebingen, Institute of Geography (Germany)

Automobile Association of Slovenia (Slovenia)

HBH Projekt spol. s r.o.

(Czech Republic)

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

ITS Motor Transport Institute (Poland)

WORD Olsztyn organization (Poland)

Imprint: Texts: Alberto Milotti, A.L.O.T.; Kathleen Elsig, GRSP; Ágnes Orsolya Kiss, GRSP Hungary; Volker Hoffmann, FGM-AMOR Pictures: iStock (p.1,3,5), GRSP (p.4,6,7) and FGM-AMOR (p. 2,3); Design by FGM-AMOR

The project „SOL – Save our Lives“ in the Central Europe Program www.central2013.eu is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

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