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Coping with higher speeds.... Improving Driving Habits on Highways

Coping with higher speeds.... Improving Driving Habits on Highways. CEO Ren é la Cour Sell , The Danish Road Safety Council. Agenda. The Road Safety Situation in Denmark The Political Situation 130 km/h on Danish Highways (Motorways) The Campaign Current status. The Situation in Denmark.

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Coping with higher speeds.... Improving Driving Habits on Highways

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  1. Coping with higher speeds....Improving Driving Habits on Highways CEO René la Cour Sell, The Danish Road Safety Council

  2. Agenda • The Road Safety Situation in Denmark • The Political Situation • 130 km/h on Danish Highways (Motorways) • The Campaign • Current status

  3. The Situation in Denmark 2003 • 432 killed, 3868 badly injured, 4544 injured (less critically) • 9 people killed per week (8 per 100000 inhabitants) Population c. 5,3 mio. Area c. 43000 km2

  4. 1960 - 2003 killed Traffic mia km 1300 60 1200 1100 50 Traffic 1000 900 40 800 700 30 600 Killed 500 20 400 300 10 200 100 0 0 1968 1960 1966 1970 1972 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 1964 1974 2012 1962 435 in 2003 Speed-limits, Safety belt 90-80 60-50

  5. Challenges Bulge in birth-rates • Large youth generation on its way • A growing group of elderly people Both groups are high risk groups in traffic, so the numbers are working against us.

  6. The Political Situation • In 2001 the present Danish Government won the election and the political majority in the Parliament (Folketinget). • A part of the electioneering campaign was a promise to raise the speed limits on motorways from 110 km/h to 130 km/h • The law was to enter into force April 30 2004.

  7. Selecting the motorways • Not all of the Danish motorways were safe for the new speed limit. (The lanes were to narrow, the crash barriers insufficient etc.etc.) • The Danish Road Directorate and the local Police authorities had to select c. 50 pct. of the motorways for the new speed limit

  8. Preparing the motorways • 115 mio DKkr (c. 17 mio €) were spent on preparation – crash barriers, road signs, physical preparations etc. • Police Authorities studied local statistics on road • accidents on the selected motorways

  9. The Task • The Danish Road Safety Council has an obligation to inform about new traffic resolutions • In this case a rather delicate matter, since the raising of speed limits did not seem to be a step in the right direction towards reducing the number of killed and injured in road accidents • Concern – increasing number of fatal accidents. Not only on motorway, but also a ”epidemic” effect on highways in general • Possibility – chance to improve the existing driving habits

  10. Restrictions and penalties Restrictions and penalties increased with the new law – intensified police control on the motorways. Rather than focusing on the new speed limit, we decided to focus on a) driving habits and b) control and penalties.

  11. Key Messages Address behaviour and driving habits: • Keep distance • Keep right • Show your intensions (indicate when overtaking and emergency braking) • Slow down (when leaving the motorway) Address fear of being caught: • Beware of intensified control and bigger penalties

  12. ”See you on the road…” ”As long as I don’t lose my driver’s license…!” Fear of being caught is bigger than fear of getting hurt or hurting others… SEE YOU ON THE ROAD …”hence we will be watching you!”

  13. Campaign Elements • Posters (acceleration and deceleration lanes) • Advertisements • Internet www.130.dk • Radiospot • Media coverage • TV-spot…

  14. Political Status October 2004 • Legislation moving in the right direction. Penalties for speeding have increased further – also on other roads than motorways • A driver’s license is on probation for the first three years • If you commit three serious and hazardious actions in traffic within three years your driver’s license will be suspended

  15. Road Safety Status August 2004 The first couple of months with the new speed limit are promising and limits are respected. Speed went down (110-area): 115,1 km/h to 111,0 km/h Speed didn't go up (130-area): 120,4 km/h (August 2003/2004) We shall, however, have to wait at least a year to draw conclusions, our concerns thus remain the same: • Will the number of accidents increase? • Will they not only increase on motorways, but on the rest of the roads as well?

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