TISPOL Bulletin

Tuesday 19 February 2019

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TISPOL welcomes new ETSC report on speeding and the vital role of
in-vehicle technology

Speeding remains a significant problem in many European countries according to new research published yesterday by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC). The findings come ahead of an important vote in the European Parliament on Thursday on the future mandatory in-vehicle safety technologies. 

The researchers looked at the numbers of vehicles found to be driving above the speed limit on different road types in the countries that were able to provide such data.  

On urban roads, where 37% of all EU road deaths occur, the researchers found that between 35% and 75% of vehicle speed observations were higher than the legal speed.  

Graziella Jost, Projects Director of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) said:

“500 people die every week on EU roads, a figure that has refused to budge for several years.  And driving too fast is still the number one killer.  It’s very simple: if we want to bring down the number of road deaths, we have to tackle speed effectively.  Right now, the EU has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make a massive difference.  Including overridable Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) on every new vehicle as standard could eventually prevent a fifth of road deaths.  We urge MEPs to back this essential life-saving measure.” 

The new report also highlights speed-related measures currently being implemented across EU Member States.  In particular, it noted some progress on reducing speeds on rural roads (more details later in this Bulletin).

Some of the countries with the best safety records in Europe have lower standard speed limits on rural roads, including Sweden at 70km/h with 27 deaths per million inhabitants. Norway (26), Switzerland (26), Denmark (37) and the Netherlands (37) all set the limit at 80km/h. 

Check out the full details of the report at etsc.eu

 

Offering advice, sharing good practice
at Moscow round-table meeting 

We were delighted to join a round-table event in Moscow on Monday and Tuesday of last week. The round-table was organised by the World Health Organization, bringing together senior traffic police officers from its European region with the highest mortality rate for road traffic injuries.

In the chair was its Regional Programme Manager for Violence and Injury Prevention Jonathon Passmore. 

TISPOL Presidente Colonel Paolo Cestra gave presentations on the value of TISPOL's pan European operations, and on how strategic planning for roads policing can contribute to overall government objectives for road safety.

Major Leandro Fuentes of TISPOL' Executive Committee explained the thinking behind the TISPOL "Lifesaver" Project from 20098 to 2011, since which Spain has been a leader in European road safety. He also presented the Project EDWARD story.

Chief Commissioner Koen Ricour of Belgium's Federal Highway Police (and a former TISPOL President) gave a presentation on the Belgian model of roads policing.

Watch a short video summary of the Moscow round table event:

Dates for your diary:

18 to 24 February: THIS WEEK TISPOL Truck and Bus Operation
9 - 11 April: TISPOL meetings and Project Edward launch, Prague
16 April: #Donttreamanddrive day

 

Truck and bus enforcement operation all this week

Until this Sunday (24 February), on streets across Europe, checks of heavy goods traffic and coaches will take place. It's anticipated that 27 TISPOL member countries will participate.

The focus will be on driving and resting hours as well as acceptasble technical condition of the vehicles.

During the large-scale week of controls drivers will be checked with regard of the Europe-wide social legislations (only those who are fit and well rested will be able to take part safely on road traffic). 

Correct loading, securing and equipment of coaches (such as emergency hammers or properly functioning electric doors) will be controlled too, to minimise the impact for anyone involved in a collision. 

In addition to the punishment of violations, drivers will also be advised on the dangers of certain actions such as not wearing a seatbelt. But also the increasing problem of distraction in traffic by the prohibited use of mobile phones will be monitored and punished. 

 

Germany: young police officer killed in collision with 'totally drunk driver'

On Saturday morning a serious collision occurred in Saarbrücken involving a police patrol car. The crew had been involved in the search for a French car, which, according to witnesses, was driven by a "totally drunk man" in the direction of the border crossing Saarbrücken-Schönbach to France.

As a result of the collision the co-driver, a 22-year-old police officer, had to be rescued by the fire department from the emergency vehicle. She suffered such serious injuries that she died at the scene. The driver of the patrol car was seriously injured and is now in a Saarbrücken hospital.

The prosecution commissioned an expert to determine the precise course of the accident. The French authorities are involved in the search for the allegedly drunk French car driver.  

This news has left relatives, friends and colleagues stunned. Interior Minister Bouillon and Secretary of State Seel expressed their deepest sympathy. National Police chief Norbert Rupp was also shocked. He participated in measures for the care of the colleagues of the department concerned as well as the forces involved in the mission. 

Everyone connected to TISPOL sends their condolences; we are immensely proud of the sacrifice made by our colleague in her efforts to protect our streets. 

Möge sie in Frieden ruhen.

Denmark: calls to lower age limit for riders of 'big mopeds'

New proposals have been put forward that would lower the age limit for riders of mopeds reaching speeds of up to 45km/h. At present, there are two different kinds of mopeds on Danish roads – the so-called ‘small mopeds’ with a maximum speed of 30 km/h and ‘big mopeds’ that can reach speeds of up to 45 km/h.

Anyone over 15 can ride the former but the latter are reserved for those with a driving licence, so over-18s.

Dansk Folkeparti (DF) is behind the proposal that would lower the age limit for ‘big mopeds’ to 16, arguing that it would be good for increasing the mobility of young people, especially in remote parts of Denmark.

DF’s transport spokesperson Kim Christiansen also argues that it will lead to a drop in the number of ‘small moped’ owners who illegally tune their bikes so that they can go faster.

However, the Danish organisation for road safety Rådet for Sikker Trafik criticised the proposal. “This involves putting the absolute most vulnerable age-group on one of the most dangerous forms of transport you can imagine – the ‘big moped’ – and this combination is a really lethal cocktail,” said its chief Mogens Kjærgaard Møller.

“All the research and experience from abroad shows that this is something that leads to accidents and often accidents that prove fatal,” he added.

 

Italy: ban considered on smoking
in vehicles

Experts in Italy are considering a ban on smoking in private cars.

However, analysts are divided over the feasibility of a proposed reform to the traffic codes designed to prevent people from smoking in their own cars. Advocates say banning smoking in private vehicles would help avoid health problems related to smoking, while also decreasing traffic risks associated with drivers getting distracted while smoking.

"This idea presents a new take on a very old problem, which is how to balance the rights of an individual's freedom to make personal choices and the desire to make changes that benefit the public at large," Fabio Galli, an analyst on road and traffic issues with consumer organization Codacons, told reporters.

However, Giordano Bisemi, president of ASAPS, an entity promoting road safety, said there were already good rules. "Drivers can't smoke in their car if they are driving a pregnant woman, or if children under the age of 12 are present," he said. "I'm not sure there's a value to going far beyond the laws that exist today."

 

Spain: Scooter rider caught on camera going wrong way through
Barcelona tunnel

Click the image above to see the video...

A dashcam video has captured the recklessness of an electric scooter rider who rode in the opposite direction down Barcelona’s Gran Vía tunnel on February 1. The city’s municipal police are reviewing the footage to verify its authenticity. The video was filmed by someone driving through the tunnel and has since gone viral on social media.

According to municipal sources, the rider has not been reported. The police hope that the video will help them identify the reckless driver, who jeopardized both his safety and that of the other drivers in the tunnel.

 

France: improvement seen on road
safety figures

An improvement is being seen in French road safety figures. This positive change comes after a reduction in speed limits on secondary roads from 90km/h to 80km/h. The speed limit reduction was introduced in July last year and is estimated to have reduced the fatality rate by around 116.

During 2018, there were 3,259 road deaths in France, a drop of 5.5% from 2017. Similarly, the number of people requiring hospital treatment following road crashes dropped by 25%.

The speed reduction has faced criticism from drivers and may be revised. Cutting speeds on secondary roads has been considered vital for boosting safety as many of these are two lane routes with one lane in either direction with a greater risk of head-on collisions due to poor overtaking or loss of control.

(from World Highways)

 

Portugal: police start intensive road safety campaign after deadly year for collisions

At the end of January police started an extensive road safety campaign aimed at reducing serious traffic collisions, in the wake of the higher number of fatalities recorded during the course of 2018 on the country's roads.

Operation Estrada Segura or Safe Road, runs until the end of February, and will seek to encourage drivers to practise defensive and safer driving.

Having already increased on the year before in 2017, road deaths rose again last year, making it the first time since 1996 that fatalities had risen over two consecutive years.

Last year, the European Union singled out Portugal in a report for failing to follow the example of other member states in cutting back road deaths.

A report by the EU revealed that the number of deaths on Portuguese roads rose 14 percent in 2017 compared to the previous year, which it said was the second highest increase recorded in the EU, where the average actually fell by two percent.