Informele raad over veiligheidsstandaarden van infrastructuur (en)
Experts discuss infrastructure improvements
Vienna (BMVIT/MS) - At the invitation and under the chairmanship of the Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology, experts from over 30 European countries will be discussing new road-safety initiatives in the Hofburg on 24 and 25 January. "Austria is a pioneer Europe-wide, and so we have made road safety one of our main topics during the EU Presidency", stated the State Secretary for Infrastructure, who will be opening the meeting.
"The aim of the discussions is to make Europe's roads safer and, as a result, lower the number of casualties, which is the objective defined in the EU White Paper. The ambitious target of halving the number of road deaths within the EU by 2010 is feasible with the right initiatives", emphasised Mr Mainoni. The State Secretary mentioned the accident rate in Austria, according to which the number of deaths on the road has fallen by almost 30% over the past seven years.
As yet, there are no common European safety standards for road transport infrastructure. Therefore, the aim is to formulate joint efforts and procedures over the next two days. "Austria can set an example for everyone to follow. We have already implemented a large number of projects on our roads", according to Mr Mainoni.
Austria is focusing on two new methods, among others:
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-road-safety checks carried out during the planning, design and construction phases - iron out accident spots before the completion phase;
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-road-safety checks carried out periodically by trained experts thereafter eliminate safety risks before accidents happen.
The results of the meeting will be presented at the Informal Council of Transport Ministers to be held in Bregenz on 2 and 3 March. "The aim is to create a pan-European road-safety culture in the infrastructure area", Mr Mainoni concluded.
Contact:
Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology
State Secretary Eduard Mainoni
Press officer Michael Stangl
Tel.: +43 (1) 711 62-8400 or +43 (664) 859 12 74