September 2006 - Three in five back wrong measures to save lives

EuroRAP recently surveyed the views of people in nine European countries on a range of road-safety related topics. Here are the results of the final question which asked what road safety investments would save the most lives over the next 10 years - safer cars, safer drivers or safer roads.

Most respondents wrongly believe that investment in safer drivers is the most effective way to save lives. An average of 60 per cent think investment in safer drivers will yield the best results, compared to 27 per cent for safer roads and 13 per cent for safer cars.

Respondents in Netherlands, Sweden and Spain were most aware of the benefits of safer roads, with over 30% believing that investment safer roads would have the biggest impact on the number of deaths and serious injuries. In comparison 20 per cent or less of those questioned in Austria, Ireland, UK and France believed this to be the case.

Although most crashes stem from driver error, Europe's national safety strategies show that safer road design and layout would do most to reduce the rate of death and serious injury - especially in countries where messages about better driver behaviour and safer vehicles are generally understood and accepted.

As the major failures in driver behaviour - seatbelts, drink and excessive speed - are tackled, some experts believe that safer roads could reduce deaths by up to 80 per cent in the coming decades.

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