In an examination of changes in road transport facilities and their use in Western Europe over the past 15-20 years trends are apparent which may be mirrored in what now happens in East and Central Europe. Whilst many countries have been forming or extending their motorway network a far greater length of local roads has been built. It is on local roads such as these that more than half the road accidents occur. Of these accidents in built-up areas approximately half the deaths and injuries involve pedestrians or riders of 2-wheeled vehicles, bicycles, mopeds and motorcycles. This paper looks at how the road infrastructure can be improved to provide better road safety for pedestrians both when they shop and in the neighbourhood of their homes. This paper also looks at the different measures which can be employed when improving the road infrastructure for cyclists (and often for moped riders too). The paper concludes by examining the various sources of finance which can be used to obtain funds for improving these aspects of the road infrastructure. (A) The German title of this article is: Denken sie an Schwachen (Fussgänger and Radfahrer)?
Samenvatting