Skip to main content

ERF reveals policy priorities planned

The ERF has unveiled its strategic research priorities for road safety for Horizon 2020, the European Commission’s next multi-year framework programme for transport research and innovation. The ERF’s research road map identifies six priority areas that it believes can contribute towards reducing fatalities by 50% compared to 2010 levels. More specifically, it urges policy makers to devote research to key areas including adapting infrastructure to meet the challenges of 21st century traffic, developing alter
May 21, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
The ERF has unveiled its strategic research priorities for road safety for Horizon 2020, the 2465 European Commission’s next multi-year framework programme for transport research and innovation. The ERF’s research road map identifies six priority areas that it believes can contribute towards reducing fatalities by 50% compared to 2010 levels. More specifically, it urges policy makers to devote research to key areas including adapting infrastructure to meet the challenges of 21st century traffic, developing alternative tools for financing and maintaining roads and planning more cost-effective road operation and maintenance methods. The also include listing in-depth statistics into the causality of accidents, plans for infrastructure and vulnerable road users and wider deployment and harmonisation of ITS solutions.

This move is being made in particular with a view to improving Europe’s road safety as a priority. The ERF points out that despite progress achieved during the last 10 years in Europe, around 90 people/day are killed each day in crashes while another 25,000/day are injured. Safety research has played a key role in cutting the fatality rate by 43% during the last European Road Safety Action Programme which ran from 2001-2010. But further research will be required and the new European Road Safety Programme 2011-2020 (ERSAP 2011-2020) has set a target of reducing casualties by a further 50%. However the ERF points out that this will require additional co-operation to achieve.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Insight into €7.7 billion European transport funding at TRA 2012
    March 21, 2012
    The TRA 2012 transport event, being held in April in Athens, will provide a unique interactive opportunity for attendees to learn about Horizon 2020, the European Commission proposal for a new Research & Innovation Framework Programme which comes into force in January 2014. The transport component of this programme is worth €7.7 billion and delegates to TRA 2012 will be able to take part in a series of 13 strategic sessions covering all modes and tackling the entire spectrum of activities envisaged by the F
  • Europe’s road safety is not improving as previously
    April 3, 2012
    The latest official figures on road safety in Europe are giving cause for concern, with data showing casualty reduction has slowed. EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas recently announced a disappointing progress on casualty reduction on Europe's roads. The joint European police association, TISPOL, has added that it is also concerned that improvements in cutting fatalities on Europe’s roads significantly slowed in 2011.
  • Road safety challenge for Europe
    December 3, 2012
    Europe’s road safety drive is highlighting key issues - Mike Woof reports In Europe there is a growing understanding that alcohol use amongst drivers still has to be tackled effectively. Accident data reveals that safety standards are improving across most European countries, with steady reductions in numbers of serious injuries and fatalities. But there remains a problem with alcohol use amongst many drivers and it is amongst this group that accident levels have not fallen. In Spain in particular, there ha
  • US road safety is a cause for concern
    September 6, 2021
    There is concern over a worrying trend in US road safety, while there have been steady gains in road safety in Europe