Spain Aims To Halve Traffic-Related Deaths By 2030 Under New Road Safety Strategy
Spain News
Published: 10 June 2022 16:48 CET
Spain’s Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska has announced the latest road safety strategy with the aim of halving the number of traffic-related deaths on the country’s roads by 2030.
The Minister presented the ambitious plans at the General Traffic Directorate (DGT) headquarters on Thursday with the hope that it will become the framework for creating safer roads in Spain.
Grande-Marlaska affirmed that the strategy was brought about by experiences and data accumulated over the past 10 years in conjunction with an analysis of European policies and those from other international organisations.
"It unites the vision of supranational and national organizations because I have always defended that road safety policy should not belong to a ministry, not even to a government: it concerns us all, it is everyone's responsibility and we have to design it together with the globalized world we live in,” said Grande-Marlaska.
The plans are in accordance with those of the United Nations and European Union which is to reduce traffic-related fatalities by 50%.
"We know what we want, we know where we are going and we know how to do it to maintain the process of progress and improvement that we are all committed to," continued Grande-Marlaska.
Adapting to future transformations in mobility
Experts at the DGT have taken future mobility transformation factors into consideration when creating the road safety strategy.
Many transformations will take place over the next decade and will change how we circulate on the roads. Climate change, ageing populations and technological advances including electric vehicles among others will all have a major impact on how we all drive.
The 2030 Road Safety Strategy was born out of the need to adapt to these changes and will be implemented via nine strategic areas, incorporating 62 individual action plans.
This new Strategy is the result of a reflection process in three key areas.
In the first place, internally, by the General Directorate of Traffic, carrying out an evaluation of the previous strategy and of the road safety situation, current and planned for the future.
On the other hand, the analysis of the most relevant international strategies and resolutions, to remain aligned with the most current and most efficient trends and proposals in favour of the safety of all users of public roads.
Finally, a process of reflection, shared with the main road safety experts in the country, both from the different competent public administrations and from civil society.
Just a few of the action plans presented in the strategy include:-
- Education - Training in safe and sustainable mobility will be included in the school curriculum.
- Degrees in vocational training - The Ministry of Education will create a new degree titled Superior Technician in Safe and Sustainable Mobility enabling students and future professionals to be trained to meet growing demand within the sector.
- Driving courses - Extending the idea of education, drivers and motorcyclists will be able to recover two lost licence points by taking an official driving safety course.
- Motorcycling courses - Courses for those who ride a motorcycle for their work funded by FUNDAE.
- B-1 licence for 16-year-olds - The muted B-1 licence will be finally introduced to improve mobility options for younger drivers who will be able to drive motorised quadricycles up to 45 km/h. They will also be able to drive small electric vehicles under 400 kg up to 90 km/h.
- Updating of the Medical-Psychological Examination Protocol at Driver Recognition Centres in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Spanish Society of Traffic Medicine.
- PMV regulation - Greater regulation of personal mobility vehicles including e-scooters.
- Historic vehicles - A simpler method of classifying and regulating historic vehicles inspired by the legislation of the UK and France which have the most historic vehicles registered.
Sadly, between January and May, 439 people were killed on the country’s roads, 24 more which is 6% more than in 2019.
It is hoped that the safety action plan will help to reduce these numbers and provide a safer network of roads for all.
Further detailed information on the Safety Plan For 2030 in English can be found here.
https://seguridadvial2030.dgt.es/inicio/
Source
https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/serviciosdeprensa/notasprensa/interior/Paginas/2022/090622-marlaskaseguridadvial.aspx
https://n332.es/the-2030-road-safety-strategy-is-the-roadmap-to-halve-road-deaths-by-the-end-of-this-decade/
https://euroweeklynews.com/2022/06/09/spains-dgt-publishes-its-2030-road-safety-strategy/
Image Credit: DGT
