Initiative details
Asociatia Drum Sigur analyzed and researched the following design errors:
- incorrect use of signs for yielding priority in intersections (Give Way and Stop signs) (error found in most countries of the world)
- the formulas used to calculate the length of acceleration/deceleration lanes at road junctions are incorrect (they do not take into account the impact of heavy vehicle traffic, as well as the volume of traffic flows) (error found worldwide)
- the use of staggered pedestrian crossings at traffic lighted intersections has negative effects on pedestrian traffic in most cases. (case analysis for all the staggered pedestrian crossings in Bucharest)
- identification of design and execution errors for T-type intersections, roundabouts, turbo-roundabouts or interchanges in some cities in Romania.
- analyzing some design errors on certain streets in Bucharest and proposing measures to improve road safety and traffic flow.
- incorrect use of signs for yielding priority in intersections (Give Way and Stop signs) (error found in most countries of the world)
- the formulas used to calculate the length of acceleration/deceleration lanes at road junctions are incorrect (they do not take into account the impact of heavy vehicle traffic, as well as the volume of traffic flows) (error found worldwide)
- the use of staggered pedestrian crossings at traffic lighted intersections has negative effects on pedestrian traffic in most cases. (case analysis for all the staggered pedestrian crossings in Bucharest)
- identification of design and execution errors for T-type intersections, roundabouts, turbo-roundabouts or interchanges in some cities in Romania.
- analyzing some design errors on certain streets in Bucharest and proposing measures to improve road safety and traffic flow.
Initiative date
Who was/is your target audience?
Policy makers
Public authorities
Children 0-16
Young adults 17-25
Adults
Parents
Seniors
Company employees
Fleet operators
Car drivers
Car drivers – professional
Educational staff
Emergency services
Public transport
Van drivers
Lorry/truck drivers
Cyclists
Micromobility riders
Powered two wheeler riders (excluding micromobility)
Pedestrians
Others
Topic
Create awareness
Education in school or in community organizations
Improve vehicles and infrastructure
Knowledge building and sharing
Provide alternative solutions
Training
Organisation details
Asociatia Drum Sigur
Association
Romania
Bucharest
Contact name
Florin Claudiu Nicolae
Telephone number
+40745984000
contact@drumsigur.ro
Website link
Project activities
If you work together with external partners, list the most important partners and briefly describe their role.
Even if we want to achieve as many collaborations as possible with our partners, until this moment our partners have only had the role of beneficiaries.
International:
UNECE, FHWA, AASHTO, ETSC, GRSF, PIARC
National:
Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, National Road Infrastructure Administration Company, Romanian Road Authority, Traffic Police, City Halls of some Municipalities, County police inspectorates of some Municipalities
International:
UNECE, FHWA, AASHTO, ETSC, GRSF, PIARC
National:
Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, National Road Infrastructure Administration Company, Romanian Road Authority, Traffic Police, City Halls of some Municipalities, County police inspectorates of some Municipalities
Please describe the project activities you carried/are carrying out and the time period over which these were implemented.
29.03.2024 – Errors in the design and signaling of the roundabouts in the Municipality of Pitesti (Letter to City Hall of the Municipality of Pitesti and Arges county police inspectorate)
12.03.2024 – Acceleration and deceleration lanes (Letter to Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, National Company For Road Infrastructure Administration, Romanian Road Authority, Traffic Police)
19.02.2024 – Difficult traffic conditions for pedestrians in Bucharest. Staggered pedestrian crossings. (Letter to City Hall of Bucharest, Street Administration of Bucharest, City Hall of sectors 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 from Bucharest)
06.02.2024 – Traffic problems for vehicles that have to give priority at intersections in Craiova (Letter to Craiova City Hall)
16.01.2024 – Erroneous design and use of road signs giving priority at intersections (GIVE WAY and STOP signs) (Letter to UNECE, FHWA, AASHTO, ETSC, GRSF, PIARC)
15.01.2024 – Redevelopment of a dangerous intersection in the city of Costesti, Arges county (Letter to City Hall of Costesti and Ministry of Transport)
05.01.2024 – Measures to improve road traffic on bld. Stefan cel Mare and bld. Iancu de Hunedoara (direction towards Obor) from Bucharest. (Letter to Bucharest City Hall, Bucharest Street Administration, Bucharest Sector 1 City Hall, Bucharest Sector 2 City Hall)
11.12.2023 – Erroneous road signs on Bucharest - North Ring Road, the intersection with Bucharest - Ploiesti Highway. (Letter to Ministry of Transport)
10.11.2023 – Erroneous design of turbo-roundabouts in the Municipality of Timisoara (Letter to City Hall of Timisoara)
26.10.2023 – Erroneous arrangement of left-turn lanes in Craiova Municipality (Letter to Craiova City Hall)
20.10.2023 - Collaboration in order to improve the road infrastructure. Erroneous use of the road sign Give way (Letter to Designers, Builders, Beneficiaries, Faculties, Associations)
12.03.2024 – Acceleration and deceleration lanes (Letter to Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, National Company For Road Infrastructure Administration, Romanian Road Authority, Traffic Police)
19.02.2024 – Difficult traffic conditions for pedestrians in Bucharest. Staggered pedestrian crossings. (Letter to City Hall of Bucharest, Street Administration of Bucharest, City Hall of sectors 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 from Bucharest)
06.02.2024 – Traffic problems for vehicles that have to give priority at intersections in Craiova (Letter to Craiova City Hall)
16.01.2024 – Erroneous design and use of road signs giving priority at intersections (GIVE WAY and STOP signs) (Letter to UNECE, FHWA, AASHTO, ETSC, GRSF, PIARC)
15.01.2024 – Redevelopment of a dangerous intersection in the city of Costesti, Arges county (Letter to City Hall of Costesti and Ministry of Transport)
05.01.2024 – Measures to improve road traffic on bld. Stefan cel Mare and bld. Iancu de Hunedoara (direction towards Obor) from Bucharest. (Letter to Bucharest City Hall, Bucharest Street Administration, Bucharest Sector 1 City Hall, Bucharest Sector 2 City Hall)
11.12.2023 – Erroneous road signs on Bucharest - North Ring Road, the intersection with Bucharest - Ploiesti Highway. (Letter to Ministry of Transport)
10.11.2023 – Erroneous design of turbo-roundabouts in the Municipality of Timisoara (Letter to City Hall of Timisoara)
26.10.2023 – Erroneous arrangement of left-turn lanes in Craiova Municipality (Letter to Craiova City Hall)
20.10.2023 - Collaboration in order to improve the road infrastructure. Erroneous use of the road sign Give way (Letter to Designers, Builders, Beneficiaries, Faculties, Associations)
In terms of implementation, what worked well and what challenges did you need to overcome?
What worked well?
- The municipalities responded positively to our letters. They confirmed the errors identified by our Association, promising at the same time that they will implement the corrective measures proposed in our letters.
- The Romanian Road Authority has confirmed that it will discuss with the road safety auditors the issue related to the calculations regarding the acceleration / deceleration lanes.
- The National Road Infrastructure Administration Company replied that the problem presented by the association in relation to the calculation of the length of the acceleration / deceleration lanes is under analysis to be taken into account for the revision of the highway design regulations.
What challenges did you need to overcome?
- Public authorities do not always have the desire to get involved in solving traffic safety problems and not all of them have the ability to understand the problems exposed by the association.
- At international level it is even more difficult to succeed in discussing with any authority about a problem that affects the safety of traffic worldwide (we are referring here to the yielding indicators (give way and stop signs) for which we consider that some measures should be taken, including by completing the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals).
- There is not much desire on the part of other private entities to actively participate and collaborate in order to improve traffic safety, without having a financial benefit
- The municipalities responded positively to our letters. They confirmed the errors identified by our Association, promising at the same time that they will implement the corrective measures proposed in our letters.
- The Romanian Road Authority has confirmed that it will discuss with the road safety auditors the issue related to the calculations regarding the acceleration / deceleration lanes.
- The National Road Infrastructure Administration Company replied that the problem presented by the association in relation to the calculation of the length of the acceleration / deceleration lanes is under analysis to be taken into account for the revision of the highway design regulations.
What challenges did you need to overcome?
- Public authorities do not always have the desire to get involved in solving traffic safety problems and not all of them have the ability to understand the problems exposed by the association.
- At international level it is even more difficult to succeed in discussing with any authority about a problem that affects the safety of traffic worldwide (we are referring here to the yielding indicators (give way and stop signs) for which we consider that some measures should be taken, including by completing the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals).
- There is not much desire on the part of other private entities to actively participate and collaborate in order to improve traffic safety, without having a financial benefit
Evaluation
Please summarise how you have evaluated the initiative’s impact (e.g. social media reach, survey, feedback forms, statistics).
The most important aspect are the answers of the authorities who confirmed the correctness of the information regarding the errors identified by the association and also confirmed that they will implement the corrective measures proposed by the association.
The analyzes carried out by the association were also published on social networks (Facebook, Linkedin), and the interactions were positive.
The analyzes carried out by the association were also published on social networks (Facebook, Linkedin), and the interactions were positive.
What has been the effect of the activities?
- correcting design and execution errors for existing intersections that have a positive impact on traffic safety and traffic flow
- correcting some errors in the design standards that affected traffic safety
Correcting errors for existing intersections has daily impact for thousands of drivers and pedestrians.
If the international bodies will have the openness to analyze the problems exposed by us, the impact would be much greater.
- correcting some errors in the design standards that affected traffic safety
Correcting errors for existing intersections has daily impact for thousands of drivers and pedestrians.
If the international bodies will have the openness to analyze the problems exposed by us, the impact would be much greater.
Please briefly explain why your initiative is a good example of improving road safety.
The classification of road accidents and the identification of the cause that led to their occurrence (as it results from the police officers' reports) is done almost exclusively by referring to the drivers / pedestrians actions, almost completely excluding the traffic conditions resulting from the design and construction of the road.
We insist on this aspect, because the technical solutions adopted within a road project or the quality of the execution of the works are in many cases the decisive element that leads to the occurrence of road accidents.
Despite these errors, the driver/pedestrian is the only one who is legally responsible for a road accident.
The Designer, Builder or Road Administrator are not held responsible for the occurrence of an accident (they can only be legally responsible if the driver/pedestrian proves this in court).
Thus, the entities that are responsible for road safety (Designers, Builders, Road Administrators) are never responsible before the law if accidents occur as a result of not fulfilling their obligations.
In these conditions of lack of responsibility, the interest in solving traffic safety problems is extremely low or even non-existent.
From these shortcomings exposed above results the goal of the Asociatia Drum Sigur, which acts to correct design and execution errors, so that the occurrence of road accidents is no longer due to these causes.
Identifying errors, proposing corrective measures and making those responsible aware of traffic safety issues and the obligations of those involved are the key elements of the Asociatia Drum Sigur's initiative to reduce the number of road accidents, increase traffic flow and reduce travel times and pollution.
At the same time, we consider that the actions and initiative of the Asociatia Drum Sigur are in total agreement with the European Road Safety Charter slogan "Together, we are Road Safety!"
We insist on this aspect, because the technical solutions adopted within a road project or the quality of the execution of the works are in many cases the decisive element that leads to the occurrence of road accidents.
Despite these errors, the driver/pedestrian is the only one who is legally responsible for a road accident.
The Designer, Builder or Road Administrator are not held responsible for the occurrence of an accident (they can only be legally responsible if the driver/pedestrian proves this in court).
Thus, the entities that are responsible for road safety (Designers, Builders, Road Administrators) are never responsible before the law if accidents occur as a result of not fulfilling their obligations.
In these conditions of lack of responsibility, the interest in solving traffic safety problems is extremely low or even non-existent.
From these shortcomings exposed above results the goal of the Asociatia Drum Sigur, which acts to correct design and execution errors, so that the occurrence of road accidents is no longer due to these causes.
Identifying errors, proposing corrective measures and making those responsible aware of traffic safety issues and the obligations of those involved are the key elements of the Asociatia Drum Sigur's initiative to reduce the number of road accidents, increase traffic flow and reduce travel times and pollution.
At the same time, we consider that the actions and initiative of the Asociatia Drum Sigur are in total agreement with the European Road Safety Charter slogan "Together, we are Road Safety!"
How have you shared information about your project and its results?
The dissemination of information was achieved both through the letters sent to the Romanian and International authorities, as well as through the presentation to the interested public on social networks (Facebook and Linkedin), with a positive and significant impact for this field.