A new approach to road safety is being promoted by the World Bank (WB). This is intended to meet the needs of the new Environmental and Social Framework (ESF), which addresses traffic and road safety under Standard 4, Community Health and Safety. The standard requires that all WB projects avoid or minimise road safety risks and impacts. It applies not just to the communities where the project is being done, but also project workers and road users. Any project with potential road safety implications must develop measures and plans to address these risks.
Safe Mobility remains a “hard to abate” challenge especially when it comes to road safety. Road crashes result in an estimated 1.35 million deaths and 50 million injuries worldwide/year.
The notable improvement in road safety statistics for Europe paint a promising picture with an 8% drop in fatalities recorded for 2013 compared with the previous year. This continues the steady reduction in the fatality rate, having followed a previous drop in road deaths. And it highlights how measures to control speeding and enforce laws against drink-driving have had a positive effect.
British Railways has big plans. Trains on the first 220 km from London Euston Station to Birmingham could be travelling at a speed of 360 km/h (225 mph) in as little as 10 years. The earthworks required for this are to be completed by as early as 2025. The project is considered one of the largest and most ambitious infrastructure projects in recent British history. It must meet the highest possible construction quality standards and evolve over the course of the project - setting new standards today and for tomorrow. The deployment of innovative BOMAG technologies and machines is therefore logical and consistent.
