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Indicator Assessment
The number of road fatalities within the EEA member countries has fallen 23% over the past 10 years (between 1996 and 2005). However, the total number of road fatalities stands at 50,349. To reach the ambitious EU-25 target of halving the numbers of 2001 fatalities between 2004 and 2010, while transport volumes are expected to continue to grow, further accident prevention policies are necessary.
Annual road transport fatalities by region.
Although the number of fatalities due to road transport accidents has fallen significantly during the past decade, road transport still places heavy demands on society. Significant efforts will be required from Member States if the ambitious target of 50% reduction in fatalities by 2010 is to be achieved. However, with improved implementation and enforcement of safety measures, progress can be made towards achieving this target.
Changing behaviour related to the use of alcohol and drugs whilst driving, observing speed limits and wearing seatbelts are measures which can significantly reduce the number of victims, as ignoring these factors can be attributed to around half of the fatalities in road transport accidents. With improved observance of these measures by road users, it is anticipated that the target of halving the number of road fatalities between 2004 and 2010 can be reached.
The total number of fatalities related to road transport accidents within the EEA member countries has declined steadily over the past decade (1996 to 2005). In 2005 the number of road transport fatalities was 50,349, a reduction of 23% since 1996. Key findings of the Mid-Term Review of the Road Safety Action Programme (EC, 2006a) are as follows:
The largest proportion of road transport accident fatalities within the EU-15 Member States in 2005 were drivers of vehicles (65%), followed by vehicle passengers (20%).
There are far fewer fatalities as a result of rail, air and shipping accidents than those related to road transport. This is partially due to the limited size of these sectors in comparison to the road transport sector, and the fact that they are inherently safer modes, but also the limited volume of vehicles on the networks (rail, air), increased protection (rail, bus) and the need for certificated to access the networks as the driver may play a role. Problems with excessive speeds and alcohol consumption are small for rail, air and shipping accidents in comparison to private road transport.
The number of air fatalities shows an irregular pattern due to a combination of a low number of accidents and varying numbers of people involved. Trends show a general decline in air accidents from 2000 onwards, until a sharp increase to a total of 135 lives lost by any operator over EU-25 territory in 2005 (144 lives lost by EU-25 operators anywhere).
Whilst fatality data related to shipping accidents is not available, the number of sea transport accidents is showing a declining trend (number of ships lost and gross tonnage). The number of rail passenger fatalities also shows a declining pattern, particularly within the EU-15 Member States (total number of rail fatalities for 1970 - 864; 1980 - 740; 1990 - 550; 2000 - 550; 2004 - 388).
The definition of the indicator is the number of persons killed each year in transport accidents by mode expressed both as absolute totals and per million of population. The modes covered by this indicator are road, rail, air and sea.
The number of persons killed in traffic accidents are provided in absolute numbers.
Relative change in road fatalities (base year 2000).
Road fatalities per million: absolute number of people/1 million people.
During the last decade, a considerable effort has been made to reduce the number and severity of transport accidents, via educational programmes, limitation of permitted blood alcohol level, speed limits, technical measures such as safety belts and air bags, and traffic control measures. Harmonization of the national laws on the technical condition of vehicles was one of the Community's most remarkable achievements. It included:
In 1997, the European Commission launched a programme for promoting road safety in the EU (European Commission, 1997) and set out a programme for the period 1997-2001 (referred to as the second road safety programme). In September 2001, the Commission published a White Paper "European transport policy for 2010: time to decide" (European Commission, 2001), where it proposed:
In June 2003, the Commission introduced a new action programme to increase the safety on European roads (European Commission, 2003). Three pillars can be recognised from this strategy to improve road safety:
To commit all stakeholders to the strategy and to obtain maximum effectiveness, the stakeholders are invited to sign the road safety charter, in which they can promise to improve progress in road safety.
The accident statistics database (CARE) was set up to evaluate the efficiency of road safety measures, determine the relevance of Community actions and facilitate the exchange of experience in this field. The database is available through the European Road Safety Observatory (ERSO) website:http://ec.europa.eu/transport/wcm/road_safety/erso/index-2.html
The target is set in the White Paper on "European transport policy for 2010" to halve the number of road fatalities by 2010 from 2000 year level (European Commission, 2001).
A road injury accident is an accident involving at least one road vehicle in motion on a public road or private road to which the public has right of access, resulting in at least one injured or killed person (European Commission, 2003).
Three types of victims are generally considered in rail accidents: passengers, employees and others.
Both statistics on road traffic accidents and statistics on rail traffic accidents will, according to the definitions, include accidents at level crossings between roads and railways. In order to avoid double counting comparing road and rail accidents, accidents at level crossings should be reported separately.
A railway operating accident is an accident occurring on main lines or service tracks operated by the railway, associated with railway stock movements on open tracks or on station premises and resulting in death of a person or a serious injury, or in extensive damage to stock, track or other installations, or extensive disruptions to traffic. Accidents in workshops, warehouses and depots are excluded as well as suicides (UNECE, 2009).
Rail accidents and casualties (UNECE, 2009):
Aviation accidents and casualties (UNECE, 2009):
N/A
No methodology references available.
In general, data on road fatalities from the policy statistical records are reliable, but concerns have been raised in earlier years that the total number of persons injured in road traffic accidents are underreported and that the records from the health sector (casualty departments) are more realistic. Furthermore, there is no agreed methodology for reporting road and rail injuries and hence datasets are not comparable across Member States. Definitions such as severe casualties may vary among the European countries. This uncertainty is one of the reasons for reporting only on fatalities and injury accidents.
Road data can be considered as reliable, accurate and robust. Data for other modes is sufficiently available.
No uncertainty has been specified
For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/transport-accident-fatalities/transport-accident-fatalities-assessment-draft or scan the QR code.
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