Road infrastructure safety management

Key points

• The Committee endorses the initiative "Vision Zero", which aims to record no fatalities and serious accidents on the roads by 2050, to be achieved adopting the "Safe System" approach, promoted by the World Health Organisation. The implementation of this strategy will require the involvement of all sectors and of all road users to achieve strengthened governance. Civil society organisations should be actively involved in all stages of shaping, implementing, monitoring and evaluating the strategy.
• The Committee points out that the EU strategy is mainly focused on financing the building of new infrastructure, but adequate funds should also be allocated to the maintenance and upgrading of existing roads. Moreover, the EESC believes that a stronger budget for transport will have an additional positive impact for Europe's growth and jobs.
• The Committee supports the proposal on new performance requirements for road markings and signs, to develop cooperative, connected and automated mobility systems (C-ITS). The EESC recommends extending such an approach to all available transport (intermodality), in order to maximise the impact of such a strategy.