The widespread involvement of individuals, professions, business and government in society's response to the problem of road traffic accidents stemming from the large-scale use of motor vehicles is outlined. It is argued that action to make use of the roads safer can be enhanced by being set in the context of a road safety strategy in whose formulation all concerned are involved. Work towards a national road safety strategy in Britain including setting a new target for 2010 is described, and the use of road safety strategies locally in British towns and cities is mentioned. Events leading to the publication of a road safety strategy for the European Union that respects the principle of subsidy are outlined. The resulting strategy is summarised and the interpretation of its criterion for cost-effectiveness is discussed. It is recognised that only future monitoring and evaluation can determine how great are the benefits that the formulation and implementation of road safety strategies will yield. (A)
Abstract