Austrian Road Safety Programme 2002-2010
Some countries in Europe suffer from roughly half as many traffic fatalities as Austria. For this reason, the Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT) commissioned the KFV to develop an Austrian Road Safety Programme. The programme was based on the premises of technical and financial feasibility, political and social acceptance and cost efficiency. Furthermore, the opinions of relevant experts and institutions as well as international experiences were brought into the implementation process.
The Catalogue of Measures
Four fields of activity are defined within the catalogue of measures: human behaviour, vehicles, infrastructure and policy / legal framework. A list of 28 focus topics and over 100 concrete measures was subjected to scientific analysis. The central points were quickly implemented in an initial package, in some cases already in 2001.
Goals and Schedule
The programme is scheduled to run until 2010. The goal is to reduce the number of fatalities by 50 percent and accidents with personal injuries by 20 percent.
Evaluation
KFV was entrusted with an evaluation of the programme in 2005, from which any necessary strategy modifications will be derived. Continuous monitoring is performed to investigate not only accident figures but also a number of safety indicators, such as safety belt use, speed levels and the number of trips made under the influence of alcohol.
Communication
Continuous public relations work during the entire duration of the programme is intended to ensure achievement of the widest possible consensus within the public and among the responsible parties at all levels.
Model Programme
Following the example of the federal ministry, some provinces (including Vienna, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg and Styria) have already established ambitious provincial road safety programmes concerned with measures at the regional level.
