S O L - S A V E O U R L I V E S . A C O M P R E H E N S I V E R O A D S A F E T Y S T R A T E G Y F O R C E N T R A L E U R O P E

SOL ON THE C IT IES FOR CHILDREN CONFERENCE IN GRAZ/AUSTRIA

DEAR READERS

THE SOL eMAGAZINE

The SOL eMAGAZINE is produced by the SOL consor-

tium. All articles are written by the SOL partners. The

responsibility for all contents and statements made

lies with the authors. The eMagazine does not repre-

sent the opinion of the European Communities. The

project „SOL – Save our Lives“ in the Central Europe

Program www.central2013.eu is co-financed by the

European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Find more about SOL on: www.sol-project.eu

Welcome to the seventh issue of the SOL pro-

ject eMagazine. In this issue we would like to

put our attention on the recent event held in

Graz, the annual Conference of the Association

Cities for Children in Graz and its relationship

with SOL project and our transnational network.

You can also read about recent findings that state

that using smartphones behind the wheel is more

dangerous than drink and drive.

In this current issue, you can also learn more about

one of our Austrian partner, the Traffic Department

of the Province of Styria and some of its activities

in road safety and their work within SOL. The focus

will describe the new Styrian Road Safety Program

(Steirisches Verkehrssicherheitsprogramm), which

was released in this year.

Enjoy reading

Alberto Milotti Project Manager SOL

A small international expert group of 20 rep-

resentatives of various working areas met in

Graz, Austria at the meeting of the Cities for

Children Network Working Group “Traffic and

By a Mobile-Tour through Graz the SOL part-

ners had the chance to view some examples

of successful implemented road safety ac-

tions, such as shared space, housing streets

and the Bicycle Training for children in real

traffic environments called Radfahrtraining

(see picture above). Furthermore the mem-

bers of the SOL network, A. Buday, J. Hein-

rich and P. Hammer held a tool presentation

about road safety for children, one out of 10

tool presentations, with the goal to represent

replicable road safety measures in one certain

road safety field. These measures also display

worldwide applicable good practices.

In this purpose a slight success can be listed

Safety” to exchange experiences concerning

safety for children in traffic and discuss how

to ensure children’s needs in urban planning.

of this meeting. Due to the fact that know-

ledge transfer is the goal of the 10 tool pre-

sentations, J. Heinrich from HBH Projekt and

a representative of the City of Dublin, Nuala

Nic Gioburin, are staying in touch after this

meeting and exchanging their experiences in

road safety.

After this meeting SOL was also present at

the Annual Cities for Children Conference in

May 2012, with a stand and information such

as flyer, posters etc. about the SOL project.

Therefore this meeting in Graz was an impor-

tant foundation for the future promotion of the

Cities for Children Conference.

ISSUE No. 07 MAY 2012

Picture: Andrej Buday, ZAS

Using smartphones for social networking

while driving is more dangerous than drink

driving or being high on cannabis behind

the wheel according to research published

today by the IAM (Institute of Advanced

Twenty-four per cent of 17-24 year old drivers

– a group already at higher risk of being in a

crash – admit to using smartphones for email

and social networking while driving.

For their research, the IAM and TRL (Transport

Research Laboratory) used DigiCar – TRL’s car

driving simulator – to examine the effects of

young drivers using smartphones to access fa-

cebook. In every test of driving performance,

young people who were using facebook while

driving were badly affected.4 When sending

and receiving facebook messages:

Motorists). Despite this, eight per cent of

drivers admit to using smartphones for

email and social networking while driving

– equivalent to 3.5 million licence holders.Twenty-four per cent of 17-24

year old drivers – a group al-

ready at higher risk of being in

a crash – admit to using smart-

phones for email and social net-

working while driving.

• reaction times slowed by around 38% and

participants often missed key events;

• participants were unable to maintain a cen-

tral lane position resulting in an increased

number of unintentional lane departures; and

• were unable to respond as quickly to the car

in front gradually changing speed.

When comparing these new results to previ-

ous studies the level of impairment on driving

is greater than the effects of drinking, can-

nabis and texting.

• Using a smartphone for social networking

May 2012 ISSUE No. 07

Picture: FGM-AMOR

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USING SMARTPHONES BEHIND THE WHEEL IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN DRINK DRIV ING

Picture: Fotolia

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slows reaction times by 37.6 per cent;

• texting slows reaction times by 37.4 per

cent;

• hands-free mobile phone conversation

slows reaction times by 26.5 per cent;

• cannabis slows reaction times by 21 per

cent;

• alcohol (above UK driving limit but below

100mg per 100ml of blood) slows reaction

time by between six and 15 per cent; and

• alcohol at the legal limit slows reaction

times by 12.5 per cent.

The IAM is calling for government action to

highlight the dangers of using smartphones

behind the wheel. Phone manufacturers and

social network providers also have a key role

to play in spreading the message. Attitudes to

seatbelts and drink driving have changed dra-

matically over the last thirty years, and, with

the right information, halting smartphone use

could become a similar success story.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “This re-

search shows how incredibly dangerous using

smartphones while driving is, yet unbelievably

it is a relatively common practice. If you’re

taking your hand off the wheel to use the

phone, reading the phone display and thinking

about your messages, then you’re simply not

concentrating on driving. It’s antisocial net-

working and it’s more dangerous than drink

driving and it must become just as socially

unacceptable.

“Young people have grown up with smart-

phones and using them is part of everyday

life. But more work needs to be done by the

government and social network providers to

show young people that they are risking their

lives and the lives of others if they use their

smartphones while driving.”

TRL senior researcher Nick Reed said: “Our

research clearly demonstrates that driver

behaviour was significantly and dramatically

impaired when a smartphone was being used

for social networking. Drivers spent more time

looking at their phone than the road ahead

when trying to send messages, rendering the

driver blind to emerging hazards and the de-

veloping traffic situation.

“Even when hazards were detected, the driv-

er’s ability to respond was slowed. The com-

bination of observed impairments to driving

will cause a substantial increase in the risk of

a collision that may affect not only the driver

but also their passengers and other road us-

ers. Smartphones are incredibly useful and

convenient tools when used appropriately and

responsibly. Their use for social networking

when driving is neither.”Drivers spent more time looking

at their phone than the road

ahead when trying to send mes-

sages, rendering the driver blind

to emerging hazards and the de-

veloping traffic situation.

Picture: iSTOCK

Picture: FGM-AMOR

The Styr ian Road Safety Programme 2011-2020

The new Styrian Road Safety Programme 2011

– 2020 (RSP) is built upon the first Road Safety

Programme 2004-2010 which has already pro-

vided important successes for Road Safety.

Within the tasks of the Road Safety advisory

Board, which was established in 2003, the strate-

gic orientation of the RSP 2011-2020 was decid-

ed and measures for the next 10 years developed.

The Road Safety work will focus on following

points in the next few years:

• High risk behaviour

• Personal responsibility

• Active networking and cooperation with all

responsible decision makers, stakeholders

and interested people concerning Road Safety.

The networking with the communities and their

commitment for Road Safety are important con-

tributions for the implementation of the RSP.

• Creating and promoting traffic culture

The Number of road fatalities was able to be

reduced by 55% since the year 2000. The

Number of road accidents in Styria has also

decreased by 20%.

The long-term goal is to create a traffic cultural

awareness in which people work together re-

sponsibly.

• The Framework of the new RSP 2011-2020

Main objectives: Reduce fatalities by 50 %, re-

duce casualties by 40 % and reduce accidents

with people injured by 20%.

Strategy of the new RSP: Three areas in which

to intervene and in which measures must be

set in order to achieve the main objectives: (1)

Creating awareness, (2) Infrastructure and (3)

Legislature & Surveillance. 10 topic fields

cover the areas in which risks and problems

concerning road safety can occur. 67 meas-

ures are defined within these topic fields.

These measures are supple-

mented by a comprehensive

Road Safety work by the po-

lice and the implementation of

measures in communities. The

Federal State of Styria is a na-

tional pioneer in the develop-

ment of Road Safety strategies

and their operational implemen-

tation.

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Picture: FGM-AMOR

May 2012 ISSUE No. 07

THE SOL P ILOT AREAS: THE PROVINCE OF STYRIA/ AUSTRIA

The pilot area Styria (Steiermark) is a federal-

state or Bundesland, located in the southeast

of Austria. In Austria it is the second largest

of the nine Austrian federal-states, covering

The population (as of 1.1.2011) was 1,210.614

and the capital city is Graz. Styria has a total

of 458.96 km of highways and motorways,

thus possessing the second longest highway

and motorway network in Austria.

72 people were killed on Styrian streets in

2011. This is the lowest number of deaths

since the beginning of recording. Neverthe-

less the Government of Styria wants to reduce

accident deaths within the next years further-

more.

Within SOL a Styrian Road Safety Programme

was developed (2011-2020) by the Govern-

ment of Styria (FA 18a – Traffic department).

The Road Safety Programme for the next 10

years has the aim to reduce the number of ac-

16,401 km². Styria borders Slovenia in the

South, as well as the other Austrian states of

Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Salzburg, Bur-

genland and Carinthia.

cidents to 20%, the number of deaths to 50%

and the number of casualties to 40%.

The distribution of this Road Safety Pro-

gramme will be focused on local level to in-

tensify road safety work and to raise aware-

ness concerning the risks on the streets. To

communicate the Road Safety Programme,

training workshops for stakeholders will be

held in three Styrian regions (Leibnitz, Kap-

fenberg, Graz-Umgebung). Within these work-

shops the strategy and the targets of the Road

Safety Programme should be disseminated

and the stakeholders motivated to implement

road safety measures within their community

or regions.

The project SOL shall help to prevent road

crashes, deaths and injuries in the Central Europe

Space (CEUS). In 12 pilot areas of the 7 countries

Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slo-

venia, Italy and Austria targeted strategies will be

developed implementing effective programmes to

build a transnational road safety network. Find

detailed informations to all pilot areas on the

website of SOL: www.sol-project.eu

THE PILOT AREAS OF SOL:

• Poland: Olsztyn, Barczewo, Nidzica

• Czech Republic: Region of Liberec

• Slovakia: City of Prešov and Region of Prešov

- Selfgovernment County

• Hungary: City of Gyor

• Slovenia: Tolmin, Kočevje and Maribor

• Italy: Province of Brescia and Mantua

• Austria: Province of Styria

THE P ILOT AREAS OF THE PROJECT SOL

GERMANYCZECH REPUBLIC

AUSTRIA

ITALY

SLOVAKIA

POLAND

SLOVENIA

HUNGARY

The SOL Countries

Picture: FGM

Picture: FGM

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SOL – A COMPREHENSIVE ROAD SAFETY STRATEGY FOR CENTRAL EUROPE

The main goal of the project is to promote

sustainable mobility and increase awareness

for safety issues as well as contributing to the

achievement of higher quality of living condi-

tions.

The approach of SOL sees Road-Safety within

the context of sustainable mobility, i.e. to make

walking and cycling safe and to promote a modal

shift from the private car to public transport.

SOL unites some of the most competent RS or-

ganisations from CEUS and worldwide, among

them the Global Road Safety Patnership (GRPS).

The multi-sector partners from eight countries

of CEUS have jointly developed a strategy that

supports the region in catching up with highest

EU standards in Road Safety.

A.L.O.T. Agency of East Lombardy for Transport and Logistics (Italy)

Austrian Mobility Research FGM-AMOR (Austria)

Province of Styria – Traffic Department (Austria)

University of Tuebingen, Institute of Geography (Germany)

HBH Projekt spol. s r.o. (Czech Republic)

ITS Motor Transport Institute(Poland)

University of Zilina(Slovakia)

Global Road Safety Partnership Hungary(Hungary)

KTI Institute for Transport Sciences(Hungary)

Automobile Association of Slovenia(Slovenia)

ZAS – The Association of the Driving Schools in the Slovak Republic (Slovakia)

WORD Olsztyn organization(Poland)

12 PROJECT PARTNERS FROM 8 COUNTRIES OF CENTRAL EUROPE

The project „SOL – Save our Lives“ in the Central Europe Program www.central2013.eu

is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Imprint:

Texts: Alberto Milotti, A.L.O.T. (Foreword); Katherina Mayser, University of Tuebingen (p.1); Provided by GRSP (p.2/3); Maria Knauer-

Lukas, Province of Styria and Elke Weiss, FGM-AMOR (p.4/5)

Design by FGM-AMOR

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May 2012 ISSUE No. 07