Agenda Informele Raad over verkeersveiligheid (en)
Safety is the main focus of the Austrian Presidency in the field of transport. This issue is headed by the motto "Crossing borders in road safety - Creating a Trans-European Road Safety Culture".
In addition to the 24 EU transport ministers and the EU Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot, the transport ministers from Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia and Macedonia have also been invited to the meeting.
Overview of the Meeting of Transport Ministers/European Road Safety
The informal meeting of transport ministers will focus on the following topics in particular:
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-The EU Commission's draft infrastructure directive
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-eSafety (with training at a road safety training centre)
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-Awareness campaigns in the EU
Vice President and Transport Commissioner Barrot will take this opportunity to review the interim results of target achievement for the European Road Safety Action Programme "Halving the number of road accident victims in the European Union by 2010".
The main focus of the informal meeting of ministers in Bregenz is to promote road safety awareness in Europe. There is need for further action here:
From the current figure of 1.2 million persons killed on the road worldwide, there were an estimated 40,000 deaths on the road in the EU in 2005 according to the Commission (2004: 43,500). In Austria, the number of deaths on the road in 1999 was 1,079 and in 2005 the number dropped to 764 - a reduction of just under 30 per cent. The fact is that in the past few years Austria has caught up considerably with the declared road safety target, and with the measures that it has taken it is now on the way to becoming one of the leaders in European road safety activity.
Within the framework of this meeting, Austria will also present its successful national activities in road safety. The other member states have also been invited to do the same. It is a question of learning from one another and utilising synergy effects.
Road safety must not stop short of the technological development of vehicles. Therefore, a large section of the meeting will be dedicated to the topic of eSafety. Intelligent transport systems provide a great opportunity to increase road safety. In its white paper, the European Commission argues for the implementation of new technologies such as systems for checking the distance between vehicles, collision avoidance and monitoring drivers' attention.
For the second working session, the ministers will travel to the road safety training centre of the Austrian Automobile Club (ÖAMTC) in Röthis, not only to discuss road safety in theory, but also to test extreme situations (for example, skid pan) directly on-site. Here the ministers can gain a direct comparison by trying out the road performance of vehicles with a different degree of technological development.
On the second day (Friday, 3 March 2006), the ministers' meeting will continue on the topic of "Measures to create awareness in the European Union" and should conclude with an agreement on a joint EU road safety campaign with a common focus.
Road safety statistics
The 2005 annual statistics for the number of casualties on the road are the best since recording the statistics began in 1950. They show that through various measures in traffic policy we have been able to reduce the number of deaths on Austria's roads from 1,079 in 1999, which was the last year there was a socialist transport minister, to 764 deaths in 2005.
Diverse steps such as lights on during the day, a system for recording driving offences, section control, traffic control systems, warning systems for motorists driving against the traffic, driving licence reform, campaigns such as "Seatbelts save lives" and a record investment in transport infrastructure have all contributed to bring about the desired effect.
The objective of making the roads safer, of raising the awareness of road users and of better preparing young people for the dangers of the road has been achieved. The decline in deaths on the road has not come about solely through stricter controls (such as HGV controls), but primarily through preventative measures and measures to raise awareness.
"Seatbelts save lives"
One of these measures to raise awareness is the "Seatbelts save lives" campaign. In 1984, compulsory seatbelt use was introduced in Austria with penalties for non-compliance. At that time, 69.5 per cent of all drivers and 73.7 per cent of all front-seat passengers wore their seatbelts. In 2004, before the campaign began, the number of seatbelt users was roughly the same for drivers and front-seat passengers at approximately 82 per cent. In 2004, the percentage of children secured in their seat with restraint systems was 75 per cent on the backseat and 92 per cent in the front-passenger seat. Austria did not achieve the highest percentage in Europe in children's safety and seat-belt use. Therefore, this campaign was initiated.
The campaign consists of two parts. The first part deals with the topic of "child safety", the second part focuses on the topic of "seatbelt usage". At the heart of the campaign are two TV spots. The spots are accompanied by radio spots, posters - also positioned along the motorway and at motorway slip roads, publication in print media and appropriate Internet presence.
The spot on the topic of "child safety" was broadcast from June to September 2005.The spot on the topic of "seatbelt usage" will be presented at the end of today's press conference.
"Child safety"
This spot achieved top ratings in the categories acceptance, interest generated and effect. With "Seatbelts save lives", it was the first time in Austria that a commercial for a social cause came first place for TV spots that made the biggest impression. In the category "appeal" - insofar as one can speak of "appeal" for such a topic - the spot was given the excellent mark 1.37. In addition, the TV spot was awarded first prize at the "International Festival for Road Safety Campaigns" held in December 2005 in Tunisia, beating competitors from around the world.
But the most important thing is not the many awards and high ratings, rather it is the seatbelt safety figures. And this is what had been most successful. Before this spot was broadcast, the percentage of children secured in their seat was 75 per cent on the backseat. After this spot had been broadcast this figure rose to 90 per cent. The percentage of children secured in the front-passenger seat rose in the countryside and on the motorway to 100 per cent.
The current spot on the topic of "seatbelt usage" shall now be broadcast here for the first time and presented to the public. This commercial is highly probable to have as positive an influence on the percentage of seatbelt users as achieved with the child safety commercial.