As a result of the globalisation of markets, the European integration process and, in particular, the enlargement of the European Union to the East, freight and passenger traffic volumes in Germany will increase by 64% and 20% respectively by the year 2015. The fact that so many North-South andEast-West transportation routes pass through the Federal Republic gives Germany's traffic safety policy a truly European dimension. Road safety initiatives in Germany are based on the 'Programme for Improving Road Safety', which was launched in February 2001. This programme has five priorities:to improve Germany's highway culture; to protect vulnerable road users; to make novice drivers less prone to accidents; to reduce the danger posed by heavy goods vehicles; and to raise road safety levels on rural roads. Thanks to this and earlier road safety programmes, the number of road accident fatalities in Germany dropped to 5,361 in 2005, the lowest number of fatalities since records began in 1953. In 1970, a combined total of over 21,000 people were killed in road accidents in what was then the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic. Approximately one-quarter of all personal injury accidents and 60% of all fatal accidents occurred on rural roads (excluding motorways). This is why raising road safetylevels on rural roads is a national concern. The main focus of this work is on research into and the development of new guidelines for standardizedroad design. In future, road design will be based more on the physiological and psychological abilities and limitations of road users than has previously been the case. Other topics in this national report include the status of development of telematics systems and road tunnel safety. For the covering abstract see ITRD E139491.
Abstract