At the end of April, the Road Safety Council think-tank organized by the Ministry of Transport (MoT) presented four studies that were conducted to analyze the situation, including statistical data, and to use the presented proposals to improve traffic safety in the future.
Road Safety Council in accordance with the Road Safety Plan 2021-2027. has decided on the allocation of funding not only for the implementation of various informational campaigns and projects related to road safety, but also for conducting several studies.
“Such studies have significant added value, as they enable data-based decisions, both when developing regulatory frameworks and when taking measures to improve road safety. Experts in the field, non-governmental organizations related to traffic are involved in the research, as well as the statistical data of the institutions are used, thus ensuring the comprehensive participation of the parties represented in the traffic field in promoting safety and reducing traffic accidents,” emphasizes Annija Novikova, director of the Department of Public Transport Services of the Ministry of Transport.
The study “On maintaining a safe distance and overtaking maneuvers in the flow of cars outside of populated areas” was developed in order to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries in road traffic accidents. In order to achieve this, the number of risky maneuvers on Latvian roads must be significantly reduced. According to the Ministry of the Interior’s (IeM) road traffic accident database, in the period from 2017 to 2022, around 8,000 accidents involving more than 19,000 people took place on Latvian roads, where the main reason was failure to observe a safe distance. 17,010 road users were injured, of which 34 were seriously injured and one died. On the other hand, 45 deaths, 133 serious injuries and 415 injuries were registered in 832 collisions with oncoming vehicles. According to experts, incorrect overtaking maneuvers cause a significant increase in road traffic risks. The study was conducted by Riga Technical University (RTU) based on the data of VAS “Road Safety Directorate” (CSDD), VSIA “Latvijas Valsts ceļi” (LVC) and State Police (VP).
In order to analyze the relationship between driving speed and the number of people killed in road traffic accidents, a study was carried out “On the relationship between changes in the driving speed of cars outside of populated areas and the elements characterizing road traffic safety”. It was developed by RTU together with the Transport and Communications Institute (TSI) based on LVC data and statistics compiled by the IeM Information Center. About 30% of road traffic accidents in which road users died were caused by excessive or inappropriate driving speed. It is statistically determined that reducing the average speed on all European Union roads by 1 km/h could save more than 2,000 lives a year.
With the aim of finding out what factors have most often caused or influenced road traffic accidents involving motorcyclists, the Latvian Moto Club Association conducted a study “Detailed study of road traffic accidents involving motorcycles”. Statistics were collected using the data of IeM and CSDD, as well as information provided by insurance companies from the databases of the association “Latvijas Transportljekļu apdosrinatāju birojs” (LTAB). The research has been carried out mainly on the basis of a survey of respondents – motorcycle drivers – which provides a broad picture of traffic safety issues affecting motorcycle drivers. It also identifies driving skills that motorcyclists should still learn to increase their safety on the road. Also, the study contains proposals for the overall improvement of traffic safety.
On the other hand, the study “Landscape’s role in traffic safety and its improvement” was carried out by the Latvian University of Biosciences and Technologies in cooperation with LVC to evaluate the road landscape in the so-called “black spots” and provide recommendations for improving safety through landscape planning.
Funding for research has been allocated from insurance funds, which insurers credit to the LTAB account for the purpose of road traffic accident prevention measures in accordance with the Law on Compulsory Civil Liability Insurance of Land Vehicle Owners. The studies are available on the MoU website.
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Tags: conducted researches implement effective measures improve road traffic safety
