Transport

European Commission's view of cycling safety

Casto López Benítez

Road Safety UnitDirectorate General for Mobility and TransportEuropean Commission

Journée d’étude consacrée à la sécurité routière des deux roues

Transport

2011 Transport White Paper: Objectives for urban mobility :

Halve the use of conventionally fuelled cars in cities by 2030Achieve CO2 free city logistics in major urban areas by 2030

2013 Urban Mobility Package:Reinforces EU support to cities

Focus on integrated and comprehensive urban mobility planning

Call for coordinated action at all levels of government – EU, national, regional, local

EU Transport Policy

Transport

EU Road Safety policy

White Paper 2011: Towards a "zero-vision" on road safety:

By 2050, move close to zero fatalities in road transport. In line with this goal, the EU aims at halving road casualties by 2020.

Policy Orientations on Road Safety 2011-2020: halve the number of fatalities

One of the 7 priority objectives is the protection of cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists

Transport

EU policy on cycling

Luxembourg Declaration on Cycling as a climate friendly Transport Mode, 7 October 2015

Valletta Declaration on Road Safety, 29 March 2017

The transport ministers will undertake to:

… take cycling and walking into account in mobility plans, safety policies and measures and, where feasible, consider the inclusion of dedicated infrastructure;

Transport

Target- 50%

Transport

Pedestrians and cyclists constituted 42% of all fatal victims of road accidents in the EU in 2015.

Cyclist, pedestrians and motorcyclists account for more than 2/3 of fatalities in urban areas.

Transport

Figure 2: Number of cyclist fatalities and percentage of all road fatalities, EU, 2005-2014 or latest available year

Source: CARE database, data available in May 2016

Transport

Figure 3: Cyclist fatality rates per million population by country, 2014 or latest available year

Sources: CARE database (EUROSTAT for population data), data available in May 2016

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• No European highway Code

• Vienna Convention of 1968

• Member States' law applies

• Regional or local administrations often have competences

• Commission's role: coordination and exchange of best practices

Cycling safety Behavior: training and awareness

Transport

Cycling safetyBehavior: training and awareness

• For motor vehicle drivers

• Driving license (Driving licence directive)

• Professional drivers (initial and periodic training: Directive on professional drivers training)

• For cyclists (no licence)

• As part of education

• Awareness campaigns

Transport

Cycling safety: Infrastructure

As far as possible adapted to be shared, especially in urban areas. (e.g. 30 km/h zones, dedicated infrastructure)

Urban Mobility Plans (should address road safety)

EU funds for infrastructure (ERDF, IEE)

European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development

Transport

Cycling safety: Vehicles

Passive safety

For motor vehicles (bumper, bonnet, underrun protection) EU type-approval

For cyclists: helmet

Active safety

For cyclists: conspicuity (lighting and reflective equipment)

For motor vehicles: New technologies for crash avoidance. Detection, warning and automatic braking systems (e.g. blind spot detection) EU type-approval

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Cycling safety: Vehicles

Review of the type-approval requirements

Driver assistance systems

Cyclist and pedestrian detection + emergency breaking (in the future collision avoidance manoeuvre)

Direct visibility requirements for trucks

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Research and data collection

• Grants for research in road safety

• Horizon 2020

• PROSPECT (Proactive Safety for Pedestrians and Cyclists)

• XCYCLE (Cycling safety)

• CARE database

• Enhanced with seriously injured data MAIS+3 (particularly relevant for cyclists)

Transport

Commission's own initiatives

• CIVITAS

• European Mobility Week

• Road Safety Observatory www.erso.eu

• European Road Safety Charter

• Participatory platform (enterprises, associations, research institutions and public authorities)

• Carry out concrete actions and share good practices

www.erscharter.eu

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European Road Safety Charter

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Challenges

• Increased cycling

• Electric bicycles (plus others like self-balancing or powered scooters “trotinettes”)

• Distraction (for both motor vehicle drivers and cyclists … and pedestrians)

• Elderly users (in particular elderly cyclists)

• Automation vs. vulnerable road users

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Conclusions

• All users share the public space. Safety is a shared responsibility

• Risk awareness and training are essential

• Rules must respected

• Dedicated infrastructure is desirable but not always possible/affordable

• Technology will help (e.g. compensating for error and distraction)