It is expected that goods transportation in Europe will increase considerably in the coming years. Consequently, the existing infrastructure for transport by road, rail and water, will be put under pressure. The question is what this means for traffic safety in the Netherlands. This paper reviews and analyses knowledge about the existing situation and the expected developments in traffic safety of goods transportation, particularly by road. The paper uses three lines of approach: (1) transport volume; (2) transport organization; and (3) the use of infrastructure by freight traffic. The paper describes four policy and research themes: a) the use of scenario methods for traffic safety policy; b) traffic safety as a structural element in the decision process concerning goods distribution; c) professionalization of traffic safety stimulation in business; and d) "sustainably safe" modes of transport of both goods and persons.
Abstract