Road safety is one of the most important public health problems in Europe and globally. The World Health Organisation estimates that every year 1.2 million people die in road accidents worldwide. So, the European Commission considers that road safety directly affects the whole territory of the European Union and its inhabitants:
- In the EUR-15, 375 million road users, 200 million of whom are driving licence holders, use 200 million vehicles on 4 million kilometres of roads. Millions more people use the road in the Accession countries, where, generally, road safety is not as good as in the EUR-15. Although the rate of road deaths and injuries per head of population in the new EU Member States is no higher than the EUR-15, this is deceptive because the number of vehicles and the volume of traffic is much lower. Therefore, the risk is much greater.
- Ever greater mobility comes at a high price: In the EUR-15 alone, 1,300,000 accidents cause over 40,000 deaths and 1,700,000 injuries on the roads every year. The direct and indirect cost of this carnage has been estimated at €160 billion, i.e. 2% of EU GNP. For the expanded European Union, the EUR-25, the cost and the challenges are even greater.
Transport safety is part of the Treaty which established the Constitution for Europe. It is a shared responsibility between the European Union and the Member States (Art. I-14). Article 236 of Part III of the Treaty also states that European laws or framework laws shall establish "measures to improve transport safety".
WHO and the European Commission consider road violence to be a growing worldwide public health problem, and that many deaths and injuries from road crashes are completely preventable, especially those caused by alcohol or drug-impaired drivers. Road safety strategies have proved that the deaths and disabilities caused by road accidents can be avoided, particularly by focussing on 5 key areas:
- To fight against excessive and improper speed, and driving under the effects of alcohol;
- To promote the use of helmets, seat belts and other safety devices;
- To improve the visibility of pedestrians and cyclists;
- To improve the design of roads and vehicles;
- To encourage all road users to behave responsibly; and to improve the effectiveness of the emergency services.
The first three elements depend directly on each individual person. Education is the key to improving the habits and attitudes of adults, as well as their children, who tend to copy and adopt the behaviour and attitudes they see.
In order to develop a balanced project, we have formed a partnership incorporating the experience of countries that have improved road safety through good practice (UK, DE, SE), and the experience of countries that are very keen to develop the experience to improve their situation (ES, GR, CZ).
The aim of ROSAE is to contribute, together with the European Commission's European Road Safety Action Programme, to better road safety for everyone. Our Objectives are:
- To educate and make adults aware of their road safety responsibilities, especially in regard to the effects of alcohol, medicines and other substances on driving, to behave responsibly (use seatbelts, helmets, follow speed limits) and to take common sense safety measures (be visible on the road, be considerate to others)
- To promote responsible health habits, especially in regard to alcohol consumption and other substances that impair driving.
- To raise awareness of the physical and psychological consequences of traffic accidents, how to prevent them and how to deal with them, and to understand the overall risks and consequences, such as long term disability.
- To promote equal opportunities between women and men and overcome gender issues related to transport
- To help and train driving instructors and adult educators to develop education strategies on road safety suitable for particular target groups.
- To produce high quality products - Curriculum, modules, guides, didactic units, classroom and e-learning courses - tested by the different sectors involved in road safety education. To develop e-learning modules that will be used in driving schools to support existing adult and driver education.
