Road infrastructure and tunnel safety

Briefing 25-01-2018

In 2010, the European Commission adopted the road safety programme, aimed at reducing road deaths in Europe by half in the following decade. Through its strategic objectives, the programme focuses on three main issues: vehicle safety, the infrastructure safety, and road users' behaviour. The initiatives undertaken within the road safety programme refer to both EU and national level. In its efforts to improve road safety, the European Union is considering new measures and activities, as well as reviewing existing legislation. In this context, the European Commission decided to assess two pieces of legislation dealing with road infrastructure and tunnel safety issues: Directive 2008/96/EC and Directive 2004/54/EC, with a view to analysing whether they are still fit for current realities and needs. Directive 2008/96/EC requests Member States to put in place and implement 'procedures relating to road safety impact assessments, road safety audits, the management of road network safety and safety inspections' (Article 1), while Directive 2004/54/EC aims at ensuring 'a minimum level of safety for road users in tunnels in the trans-European road network' (Article 1). This implementation appraisal focuses on the evaluation of the two directives, a process that precedes the European Commission's new proposal, expected early this year.