In order to meet the long term road safety policy goals laid down in the 1980's Long Term Road Safety Policy Plan, the Dutch government launched a comprehensive strategy on sustainable safety. A renewed strategy plan for the period 2001-2020 has recently been launched. This new National Traffic and Transport Plan called: "From A to B", will be presented and elucidates the policy and the activities of the Dutch government, together with the other authorities in the country, to reach the goals for the year 2020. In The Netherlands this approach will achieve a road network that will be adapted to what people are capable of in traffic and will lead to the situation that desired road user behaviour will be clear from the road network. This is the principle of self explaining roads. While it is true that well laid-out roads can reduce the risk of road accidents, the road users themselves are ultimately at the wheel. More attention will be given in the near future to other countermeasures like influencing speed behaviour. By means of experiments, the government is giving an impulse to the development of Advanced Driver Assistance (ADA) systems. ADA is an umbrella term for, among other things, various forms of intelligent speed adaptation and lane departure warning systems. The government is also setting up a calender for the development of Automatic Vehicle Guidance (AVG) systems for the coming years. This is being done in co-operation with the private sector, in particular with the objective of improving road safety and road utilization. The intention is to fit in with international developments and to realize the necessary legal framwork. According to actions, the government aims to extend pilot studies with intensive police supervision of regional enforcement of traffic regulations (including speed behaviour) to all police regions in the country. The government will also intensify the enforcement of speed limits on the motorway network, through extra deployment of the national police force. An impulse will be given to the introduction of Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA). After the first, successful trial in a residential neighbourhood in the city of Tilburg, large scale trials are planned. The government will start a trial with a speed governor in light trucks and vans, as is already the case for heavier trucks. This will be done in co-operation with the private sector. After the trial, and taking account of the results, the government will commence efforts for amendment of the law in the European context. The government will promote the development and application of the on-board computer and the driving behaviour data recorder (black box). The accent lies on the commercial market, especially freight transport, with the objectives of realizing logistic advantages and contributing to safer driving (and speed) behaviour. For the covering abstract see ITRD E123876.
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