Good practices

The study addresses the growing road safety concerns linked to the increasing number of electric and hybrid vehicles on Belgian roads. These vehicles are considerably quieter than conventional vehicles at low speeds, which means that pedestrians and cyclists may not hear them approaching in time. This creates a particular risk for blind and visually impaired people, who rely heavily on sound to navigate traffic environments and make safe crossing decisions. The research therefore investigated whether quiet vehicles can be detected early enough to guarantee safety and whether current countermeasures are sufficiently effective.

Since 29 April 2024, AASR has addressed road safety risks identified through direct contact with foreign workers, employers, vehicle rental operators and public authorities in Romania.

Many third-country nationals arrive with limited knowledge of Romanian traffic legislation, road signs, priority rules and the responsibilities associated with different types of vehicles. These difficulties are particularly relevant in delivery services, where workers regularly use bicycles, electric bicycles, scooters and cars in busy urban traffic.

Language barriers make the situation more complex. Workers may receive written instructions or attend training without fully understanding the rules they are expected to follow. Differences in previous driving experience and familiarity with local traffic conditions can increase the risk of mistakes.

Through discussions with foreign workers and observations gathered during preventive activities alongside the Bucharest Traffic Police, AASR identified the need for practical explanations in participants' native languages and earlier intervention, before workers start delivery activities or receive rented vehicles.

The initiative addresses these risks through cooperation between civil society, public authorities, employers and foreign workers. Its purpose is to improve understanding of Romanian legislation, encourage responsible behaviour and protect both workers and the wider public who share the roads with them.

The project addresses the problem of repeated unsafe traffic behaviour among young people and the growing number of traffic accidents involving minors. However, young people require a different approach than adults.

Road infrastructure can contribute to crash risk when safety-related issues are not identified and addressed during the planning and design stages. Road Safety Audits provide a systematic and independent assessment of road projects, helping to prevent crashes and reduce their consequences before infrastructure is built or substantially modified.

Effective implementation of this procedure requires qualified professionals with specialised knowledge of road design, crash analysis, human factors, the Safe System approach and the needs of all road users, including vulnerable road users.

In Portugal, access to the profession of Road Safety Auditor is regulated and requires civil engineers with relevant professional experience to complete specific training delivered by a training provider certified by the Institute for Mobility and Transport (IMT).

PRP’s initiative addressed the need to translate these legal and technical requirements into a comprehensive training programme capable of developing the competencies required to identify infrastructure-related risks and formulate appropriate safety recommendations. By training engineers from Infraestruturas de Portugal, the national road infrastructure manager, the initiative also aimed to strengthen the institutional capacity to integrate road safety into the planning, design and assessment of road infrastructure.

The road safety challenge lies within slowly moving unstable terrain in the vicinity of roads, railways and waterways that is not monitored at all. Dismantling of parts of the mass would result in severe damage to the infrastructure and vehicles/persons passing by.