In recent years there has been a change in the conduct of road users, who are now more aware than they were in 2003, of the need to engage in safe conduct as road users. In 2003, 5,399 people died in road traffic accidents and 26,305 people were seriously injured, a magnitude that seemed to be “accepted” as the high price that must be paid in order to be able to travel. Furthermore, the growth forecasts, for both the number of vehicles and the number of drivers do not predict higher figures in the coming years. Compared to the European Union, Spain had an accident rate of 128 deaths per million population compared to the Union’s 103, placing it far from those countries with the best road safety results. Progress in improving road safety on Spanish roads has led to a reduction of over 53% in the number of deaths since 2000, the date when Spain fell in line with the European road safety strategy and with the objective to reduce such deaths by 50% by 2010. Spain’s improved safety level in the 2003-2009 period, stems from the increased use of safety systems, the use of helmets has increased from 73% to 98.9%, the degree of seat belt use, which has gone up from 70% to 90.6%, and where risk factors are concerned, the average speed has reduced by 2km/h and there is a downward trend in alcoholic drink consumption (the percentage of drivers who died when over the limit of 0.3g/l has fallen from 35% to 29%). The political and social commitment to improving road safety translated into the launch of the Road Safety Strategic Plan 2005-2008, which represented a step forward in relation to the dynamic of action of the various levels of authority involved. This plan focused upon improving compliance with regulations although it also provided a set of measures which sought to coordinate the actions through various ministries: Health, Education, Public Works, among others. Following this period, progress in improving road safety is clear, on the one hand, there is the aforementioned change in user conduct, and on the other, the improved infrastructures and the replacement of vehicles and of the safety systems in them. However, it is important to keep increasing the scope of road safety work and, above all, to continue working to coordinate actions and generate synergies between the different levels of authority (central, regional and local government), as well as between the numerous qualified economic and social agents who continue to carry out significant work in the interests of reducing the road traffic accident rate. In this context, the new Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020 seeks to form a framework for action and be an instrument which promotes, facilitates and coordinates the road safety initiatives of the political, economic and social agents at a national level, the attainment of shared objectives and the achievement of new challenges. The process of drawing up the strategy was based on: the analysis of data and information contained in official, valid and sustainable sources of information and the participation of the various public and private agents through working groups and international comparison. Furthermore, other strategies have been analysed such as the Infrastructures and Transport Strategic Plan (2005-2020), the Strategic Action Plan for the Transport of Goods and Passengers, the 2008-2012 Action Plan for Spain’s Energy Saving and Efficiency Strategy, Spain’s Sustainable Mobility Strategy, Spain’s Health and Safety at Work Strategy (2007-2012), etc., assessing their interrelations and contributions. It is also worth highlighting the participation of over 90 professionals from various public and private organisations related to road safety that have formed part of the working groups and whose contributions have enriched the strategy and enabled the definition of lines of work which are closely aligned with the groups’ issues and key topics which constitute the strategy’s central areas of work. The actions which are to be carried out in the framework of the new strategy are based on the handling of eleven groups and key road safety topics from the perspective of education and training, raising awareness and communication, compliance with regulations, the infrastructure and the vehicle, the urban area, the company and professional transport, victims, as well as two areas of action which apply across the board, which are research and knowledge management, and coordination and participation. The present document is the starting point for the strategy which describes the areas of intervention and the measures or initiatives which are to be implemented in the 2011-2020 period, with a review of objectives and measures scheduled for 2015. However, given the current environment, particularly where budgetary availability is concerned, the details of the projects to be undertaken and the economic budget will be set out in the action plans which are to be drawn up annually, and will be the working tool for achieving the established objectives. (Author/publisher)
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