New Risk Mapping for Poland released

Scientists from the Gdansk University of Technology with experts from the Polish Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and the Foundation for the Development of Civil Engineering have developed a risk map of Poland's national roads in the years 2006-2008. The map is part of the European Road Assessment Programme EuroRAP.

Map of individual risk on Poland's national roads

The map shows the risk of death or severe injury on Poland's national roads. Risk is divided into five coloured bands. Green means low risk (and best safety) and black is high risk (and worst safety).

Individual risk is a risk faced by individual road users measured with the frequency of death and injury accidents on a section of road and how many vehicles it carries during three years of the analysis (2006-2008).

The individual risk map of Poland's national roads shows that:

• 60% of national roads are high risk "black sections" where the risk of death or serious injury can be up to twelve times higher than on "green sections",
• nearly 70% of all death and severe injury accidents on national roads occur on "black sections"
• the biggest number of these sections is in south and south-east Poland,
• motorways are the only roads that meet EuroRAP's low risk criteria but they make up only 4% of national roads.

Road safety on national roads

Maps of individual risk have been developed using police accident statistics. Between 2006 and 2008 on Poland's national roads there were 12,586 death or severe injury accidents with 5,815 people killed, 10,882 severely injured with many of them disabled. The material and social costs of these accidents added up to nearly 11 billion zloty.

Risk maps of Poland's national roads will be helpful for

• drivers planning their routes who can make informed choices and minimise the risk,
• road authorities when they take decisions to improve road safety management and plan the type and sequence of road safety measures,
• road traffic enforcement (police, transport inspectorate) for a more accurate location of preventive and control measures
• politicians for supporting road safety work.

Other risk maps of Poland's national roads

Apart from individual risk mapping, EuroRAP has also helped map the most frequent causes of accidents such as hitting a pedestrian, speeding, head-on collisions, side impact, run-off accidents, accidents involving cyclists and a map of collective risk, affecting the entire society.

The risk map of Poland's international roads was presented during stage one of EuroRAP in March 2009.

You can download all maps from the Programme's website www.EuroRAP.pl.

EuroRAP Programme

Developed to give independent and consistent assessments of road traffic risk, EuroRAP (European Road Assessment Programme) is Europe's biggest and most effective road safety initiative.

The idea to develop the Programme came from motoring clubs. In their view roads should be treated just like hazardous facilities and subjected to public scrutiny just like chemical plants or nuclear power plants.

The programme is carried out in close cooperation with research centres and universities involved in road safety as well as with road authorities, police and a number of other organisations and institutions.

EuroRAP in Poland

Poland joined EuroRAP in 2006 when two independent organisations the Foundation for the Development of Civil Engineering and Polish Automobile and Motorcycle Federation became members of EuroRAP.

European Road Safety Atlas as part of EuroRAP

EuroRAP includes a three year project European Road Safety Atlas (financed by the European Commission). Poland joined the project in 2008. Its target is to halve the number of road deaths between 2001 and 2010 and contribute to the EU's 4th Road Safety Action Programme for the years 2011-2020.

Media Contacts

Malgorzata Romanowska, EuroRAP Poland Coordinator, Gdansk University of Technology, Department of Highway Engineering.
mobile: 0-692-410-959
e-mail: m.romanowska@fril.org.pl

Ewa Ostaszewska, Marketing and Sports Officer, Sports and Marketing, Polish Automobile and Motorcycle Federation
Tel / fax: 0-22 / 849 97 10 kom: 0-695-360-758
e-mail: ewa.sportmarketing@pzm.pl

Links

• Press release in Polish
• Full results (in Polish)
• Poster showing individual risk 2006-2008 (in Polish)