Opening of borders as a challenge to traffic safety work.

One of the most significant changes that took place in Europe in the 1990's was the collapse of the Soviet Union. The liberalisation of political and economic conditions increased dramatically traffic volumes between Russia and Finland. Mixing two different traffic cultures did not happen without problems. The studies and statistics used in the presentation indicate that traffic accident risk is higher by default when driving abroad compared to travelling in the native country. The risks caused by drivers used to a different traffic culture may be significantly reduced by jointly taken well-planned and determined measures. Experiences gained in Finland suggest that the measures having a positive effect on the traffic behaviour of foreign drivers can be listed as follows: (1) Targeted intensified information and enlightenment; (2) Improvement of traffic environment according to the needs of drivers; (3) Close cooperation between authorities across borders; (4) Reliable statistics and exchange of information between the authorities; (5) Sharing responsibilities between authorities in an appropriate way; (6) Implementing commonly agreed action lines based on facts; (7) Maintaining sufficiently high risk of apprehension for traffic violations by means of enforcement; and (8) Consistent use of sanctions. The objective established by the Finnish authorities to reduce the number of traffic fatalities below the level of 250 by the year 2010 presupposes also that the safety of Russian drivers needs to remain at least on the present level. It is foreseen that the expansion of the European Union to the East will increase traffic between countries having different traffic cultures. It is advisable to anticipate the possible risks this expansion may cause to traffic safety and to take the necessary precautionary measures well ahead of the change. (A) For the covering abstract of the conference see ITRD no 207828. The reprints are also available at the web - http://www.vti.se/pdf/reports/K18APart1.pdf; http://www.vti.se/pdf/reports/K18APart2.pdf and http://www.vti.se/pdf/reports/K18APart3.pdf.