While definitely a positive step, the Road Safety Action Programme (RSAP) 2001-2010 had two principal weaknesses. First of all, it set an overarching objective of halving deaths by 2010 that did not take into account the huge differences in current road safety levels between the EU member states. Secondly, it did not foresee any mechanism for monitoring the actions taken and evaluating their impact. The ERF believes that, in addition to the overarching objectives, the next Road Safety Action Programme should set country specific targets that are based on a careful analysis of each country according to its individual specificities and needs. Furthermore, a ‘Management Plan’ should be established to assess the success of the RSAP at regular intervals and to determine its next steps. This would enable each country to maximise its own contribution towards the final objective. (Author/publisher)
Abstract