Filenews 16 June 2021 - by Michalis Hatzivasilis
Cyprus has fallen by three places in relation to the reduction in road deaths in the European Union and from 18th place in 2010 it fell to 21st in 2020. However, it scored the second best reduction in the EU in serious injuries, behind Greece.
These figures are recorded in the 15th Annual Road Safety PIN Report, currently released by the European Transport Safety Board (ETSC) and presents general road safety data at the end of 2020. This report is particularly important, as it marks the end of the decade 2010-2020 and shows progress towards the European target of a 50% reduction in road deaths in this period. The report also refers to the new European targets for a 50% reduction in road deaths and, for the first time, serious injuries by 2030.
Although the collective European target of reducing road deaths by 50% has not been achieved, all European countries have made progress and saved lives. Only one EU Member State has succeeded and has even exceeded the target. This is Greece, which achieved a 54% reduction. Norway, which is not part of the EU, achieved a 55% reduction. Cyprus recorded a decrease of only 20%. In terms of road deaths by population ratio, Cyprus fell in 2020 to 21st place among the 27 EU member states, down from 18th place in 2019, despite recording a slight decrease in road deaths, from 52 to 48. Cyprus recorded a population-related road death rate of 54.1 in 2020, while the EU27 index was 42.3.
According to Cyprus' representative in the Road Safety PIN programme, 18,844 people died on EU roads in 2020, while 29,691 road deaths were recorded in 2010. In other words, a 37% reduction was achieved. It should be noted, however, that by 2019, the reduction in road deaths was only 23% and in 2020 it stood at 37% due to road traffic restrictions in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, if road death numbers remained at the 2010 level, it is estimated that 56,305 more road deaths would be recorded in the decade 2010-2020. The European Transport Safety Board estimates the economic benefit to European societies from this reduction at €156 billion.
Meanwhile, in addition to the EU's failure in the road deaths target, there has been an even greater failure to reduce serious road injuries, since from 2010 to 2019, there was a negligible decrease of 2.0%, which in 2020 was up to 14%, due to the pandemic. It should be noted, however, that Cyprus has recorded a very significant success in reducing serious injuries from 2010 to 2019 with a rate of 42%, which amounted to 64% in 2020. These figures are the second highest in the EU, after those of Greece, which recorded a decline of 63% in 2019 and 71% in 2020.
The annual "2021 Road Safety PIN Award" is awarded to Greece for the great progress it made in the decade 2010-2020 in Road Safety. In an interview with ETSC, Greece's Minister of Infrastructure and Transport said, among other things, the following main reasons for this success:
• Implementation of the National Strategic Road Safety Plan 2011-2020.
• Recommendation in 2010 of the Inter-ministerial Committee on Road Safety, chaired since 2014 by the Prime Minister and supported by the National Road Safety Council.
• Construction of new motorways 1350 km long.
• Intensification of police checks for traffic offences and effective use of photo-ting devices (cameras).
• Reduction of the permissible alcohol limit when driving by professional and novice drivers, as well as by motorcycle and moped drivers.
• Increase penalties for traffic offences.
Encouraging smart transport
• Call on Member States to contribute to reducing road deaths by at least 50% from 2020 to 2030, in line with UN sustainable development commitments and targets.
• Create a new service to support safe, smart and sustainable transport.
• Adoption of a long-term operational plan for 2030, including investment in measures, as well as a timetable and procedures for achieving the two targets adopted for road deaths and serious injuries.
• Adopt legislation where appropriate, instead of non-imposed voluntary commitments.
• Integration of the Road Safety Strategy in the context of changes in mobility models, including new trends, such as automated driving (without driver intervention) the increase in foot and bike movements, innovations such as electric skates (e-scooters) and an ageing population.
• Extension of the implementation of the tools of the Road Infrastructure Safety Management Directive to cover all co-financed roads and all roads of primary importance, both urban and provincial.
Targeted measures at local level
The report sets out a series of Council recommendations to the Member States and to the EU institutions, the most important of which are for Cyprus, the following:
• Seeking to accelerate progress by all available means, including the implementation of proven effective enforcement strategies, in accordance with the Recommendation of the European Commission for Law Enforcement.
• Adopt and implement the "Safe System" approach to Road Safety, managing all elements of the road transport system in an integrated way and adopting a common overall responsibility and accountability approach between system designers and road users.
• Adequate state funding to enable and encourage the implementation of targeted measures at regional and local level.
• Adoption of road safety plans for the period after 2020, including national targets for reducing serious injuries based on the MAIS 3+ hospital categorisation, in parallel with the reduction of road deaths. Definition of individual quantitative targets based on efficiency indicators.
• Use of the data collected to design and update relevant policies, based on data and data. Selection of measures based on reliable evaluation studies, including a cost-benefit assessment where appropriate. Inclusion of serious injuries in analyses of the effectiveness of measures.
