11 Lithuanian institutions have signed an agreement on the implementation of a national “Vision Zero” road safety programme, which commits to significantly reducing the number of deaths on Lithuanian roads by 2030. Four government ministries and seven national institutions, including the police, the transport safety administration and the association of municipalities, have joined the programme, which will be coordinated by the Ministry of Transport.  “From 2020 until 2023 the number of deaths in Lithuania decreased by almost 11 per cent, but unfortunately, there are still too many deaths ..read more

Ahead of European Parliamentary elections in June, and the formation of a new EU Commission later this year, ETSC has set out several actions it sees as crucial to progress on road safety in Europe over the next five years. In a briefing published earlier this month, ETSC called for an overhaul of the institutional approach to road safety in the EU, with the appointment of a Road Safety Envoy, reporting directly to the Commission President, to more closely align the work carried out across various departments including mobility (DG MOVE), industry (DG GROW) and health (DG SANTE).  In addi ..read more

In its latest pan-European operation, RoadPol, a collaborative network of European road police forces, conducted a comprehensive enforcement effort focused on seat belt compliance and other safety measures. Despite concerted efforts, the findings underscored a concerning trend of persistent seatbelt violations among motorists across the continent. Spanning a week in March, the operation saw participation from 31 European road police forces, conducting active roadside checks aimed at ensuring compliance with seatbelt regulations, child restraint usage, and helmet safety. Results from the operat ..read more

A new report from the OECD’s International Transport Forum (ITF) examines the current evidence base for micromobility safety trends and risks. It provides safety recommendations for both authorities and micromobility operators in line with the Safe System approach. The authors conclude that shared e-scooter use is becoming safer overall as injuries are not rising in line with usage. But an increase in severe injuries from e-scooter crashes is cause for concern. The ITF report underlines the importance of safe infrastructure and vehicle design and says a focus on rider behaviour and safety equi ..read more

The Dutch government will ban the possession and use of speed booster devices for electric bicycles on public roads, according to news website RTL. The measure is designed to improve road safety and limit nuisance. There have been complaints in the Netherlands about fast-moving electric bicycles for some time. So-called fat bikes in particular are a source of contention. Those e-bikes with fat tires and a large saddle are very popular among young people. Like all other electric bicycles, the bicycles are allowed to travel at a maximum speed of 25 kilometers per hour. But speed boosting kits fo ..read more

Mayors and deputy mayors from cities across Europe have defended the right of local authorities to set appropriate speed limits in a letter published today in the Financial Times newspaper.    The letter follows central government initiatives in England and Italy that could hamper the power of cities and towns to implement road safety measures such as lower speed limits and traffic enforcement cameras.  Meanwhile in Germany, more than 1000 cities are calling for the right to set local speed limits, a policy that is currently heavily restricted by national rules and only per ..read more

The European Parliament has voted to approve new rules to ensure more foreign-registered drivers face justice after committing road traffic offences outside their home country.  Current rules on ‘cross-border enforcement’ within EU Member States have helped increase compliance. However, in 2019 around 40% of offences by foreign drivers were not followed up, either because the offender was not identified or because payment of the fine was not enforced. The updated rules, approved today by MEPs in Strasbourg, address these issues with new provisions improving cooperation between EU countrie ..read more

Europe’s approach to tackling road safety is in trouble. The EU, and its Member States, have agreed on targets to cut road deaths by half in the decade to 2030. But, according to the current trend, deaths are set to fall by only a quarter. There were 20,400 road deaths in the EU last year – down just 1% on the previous year.  While this is a 10% reduction since 2019 – the baseline for the 2030 target – the downward trend has flat-lined in several Member States and risen in others. At European level, there is an urgent need for strong leadership and action on road safety to get things back ..read more

Italy’s new road traffic law is headed to the Senate this month but campaigners across the country have strongly criticised the changes, which include restrictions on local authorities from setting up new 30 km/h speed limits, cycle lanes and speed cameras. ETSC’s Executive Director Antonio Avenoso said: “This law, if passed in its current form, could set Italy back for years.  The country’s congested cities need to encourage more cycling and walking, both through safer speed limits and more dedicated infrastructure.  It makes absolutely no sense for the central government to prevent ..read more

Municipalities and cities will be able to implement speed reductions more easily in the future in Austria.  The legal changes are scheduled to come into force on 1 July. It was already possible for cities and municipalities to set speed limits in Austria. However, the prerequisite was extensive reports that had to explain the need for speed reduction in a very bureaucratic way.  The amendment to the road traffic regulations is intended to bring the following change: in the future, the responsible road authority will be able to reduce the maximum permitted speed in local areas an ..read more