Despite significant progress achieved during the last ten years in the field of casualty reduction at EU level, approximately 80 people still lose their lives on a daily basis on Europe’s roads. Put differently, it is comparable to a town of 27,000 inhabitants disappearing over Europe every year. The European Transport Safety Council has set the value of a human life at € 1.84 m based on the willingness to pay (WTP) approach. Relying on this figure, which is endorsed by the ERF for the purposes of this position paper, we arrive at the conclusion that road fatalities cost the EU a staggering € 51 billion in 2012. Moreover, once the cost of injuries is included, the figure increases dramatically. If one includes the cost of medical treatment and of losing members of the workforce, and the extra financial burden placed on insurance, legal and social support systems, the EU’s road injuries give rise to a combined annual bill of around 2% of GDP, i.e. € 250 billion All in all, road accidents cost the EU economy € 300 billion annually. Cheap and effective solutions currently exist that can make an immediate difference, saving lives and reducing the immense socio-economic burden road traffic accidents place on the economy. The current position paper outlines how the road infrastructure sector and, in particular, the road markings industry can help make a difference immediately, cheaply and effectively. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting