Some bullets from the annual TISPOL Conference -the Organization of Traffic Police Forces in Europe- (https://www.tispol.org/)  that took place in Manchester between the 26th and 28th of September 2011:

What is mostly needed to improve road safety:

• Better infrastructures
• Better cars
• Law enforcement
• Education
• Marketing (Campaigns)

Statement: Traffic Accidents are mostly due to driver behaviour than driver ability

About European drivers and fatalities:

• In 1991 75.400 European citizens lost their lives in road accidents.
• In 2010 31.000 European citizens lost their lives
• 31.000 drivers loose their lives every year in road accidents
• Main causes of death: Speeding, Driving under influence of alcohol, not using seatbelt, not using helmet
• Greece has the highest rate of fatalities per million road users (112/1m)
• European average is 70 deaths per million road users
• UK and the Netherlands under 40 fatalities per million road users

(see also: ec.europa.eu/transport)


About road traffic accidents in the USA:

• 32.788 fatalities in 2010. This number is 25% less compared to 2005.
• Of those 32.788, 10.839 were driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
• Most accidents occur between the hours 00:00' - 03:00'.
• Most drivers loosing their lives are between the ages 21 - 24.
• 29% of motorcyclists are caught under the influence of alcohol.
• 20% of road traffic accidents are due to distracted driving.

(see also: distraction.gov)


About drug driving in Europe:

• The average of drivers driving under the influence of drugs in Europe, is greater than the average of those d.u.i. of alcohol.
• The number of drivers driving with medication is greater than of those d.u.i. of alcohol.
• After accidents drugs and alcohol are detected in equal numbers of drivers.
• Drivers taking medication not so frequently involved in accidents.
• 68% of controls in Belgium is about the use of cannabis. 
• More than 15 million Europeans have used drugs in the last month.

(see also: druid-project.eu - nicc.fgov.be)


About use of electronic law enforcement equipment in France:

• 31% of drivers are caught d.u.i. of alcohol
• 50% of road traffic accidents occur during the weekend despite the fact that circulation is less
• 44% of accidents occur during the night
• 54% concern cars
• 18% concern motorcycles
• 2.893 traffic law enforcement cameras -speeding- today in France. 
• Another 1.000 in 2012.
• 592 cameras for traffic lights
• In France 40 million road users
• New law for alcohol checks in nightclubs

Youth, Gender and Road Risk

Here are some key issues, by Dr. Terry C. Lansdown (Herriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK), Prof. Rebecca Ivers (The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia) and Stephen Stradling (Napier University, Edinburgh, UK).

• 79% of all accidents, have a distraction component
• Pre-driver attitudes about road safety are maintained as a driver
• Young drivers have been identified as twice the risk of other drivers
• Causes of young driver crashes: 
• Inexperience of vehicle control skills
• Poor identification and anticipation of hazards 
• Low resistance to peer pressure and risk taking 
• Poor grasp of skill demand shortfall (McGehee, 2010)
• Top 3 distracting behaviours: 
• Writing text messages
• Reading text messages
• Using telephone hand held
• Most common distraction factor: using in-car entertainment system. Interaction with adult passengers comes second. Drinking comes third.
• Percentage self-Reported Accidents (& Near Misses): 
• Interacting with children 2.1% (7.5%)
• Using an  MP3 Player 2.0% (3.9%)
• Sat. Nav. destinaion entry 2.0% (2.8%)
• Interacting with adults 1.5.% (11.4%)