This paper begins by describing the road safety development in the Netherlands in 1950-1990. It appears that the death risk has declined steadily since 1950. The descending risk curve can be attributed to the Dutch safety policy, for instance, in the fields of: (1) infrastructure; and (2) police enforcement. The paper sketches the edvelopments in road safety and mobility (the number of vehicle kilometers travelled in a year) in the coming years up to 2010, with the year 1986 as point of departure. It is concluded that any Dutch road safety policy can only decrease the absolute number of deaths, when a powerful and effective brake is put on the mobility growth. The paper briefly describes the Dutch government's Long Term Plan for Road Safety. This plan has been adopted since 1985, and is updated every two years. An example is given containing an impression of the nature of a number of research proposals to improve road safety. This example concerns the road hazard problems on two lane rural roads. The problems include: (i) how should these roads be designed; and (ii) how can people be taught to behave correctly. A general strategy is suggested in order to find effective solutions to road safety problems in the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic.
Abstract