Romania
Romania is the second largest of the Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) with a land area of 238,391 sq km and a population of 22.3 million. Romania is located on the Eastern boarder of the European Union, with Ukraine and Moldova in the northeast; Hungary in the west; and Serbia and Bulgaria to the south along the Danube River. Romania has a stretch of sea coast on the Black Sea and the eastern and southern Carpathian Mountains run through its centre.
Romania's overall economic, political, and social reform process has not been as robust as most transition countries in Central and South East Europe but the country has still maintained strong growth rates and lowered unemployment to 7.7% in 2005 est. GDP per capital is USD 8,100 (2005 est.) and some 12% of the population is estimated to live below the poverty line after social transfer (2003 est.). Romanian Government confidence in continuing disinflation was underscored by its revaluation in 2005, making 10,000 “old” lei equal 1 “new” leu.
Romania has been a member of NATO since 2004, and joined the European Union as of 1 January 2007.
Road Safety in RomaniaProjects |
Facts
Roads
Romania has198,817 km of roads of which 100,173 km is paved (including 228km of expressways).
Road safety situation
Since 2000, some 12,000 people have lost their lives on Romanian roads. Road safety statistics indicate the fatality risk is 11 fatalities/100,000 inhabitants. The risk in terms of number of fatalities/billion vehicle km is 68, which is 7 times higher than the UK.
In comparison to 2005, Romania suffered fewer road crashes and road crash related injuries and fatalities in 2006. In 2006, there were 6630 serious road crashes, in which 2436 people died and 5281 were severely wounded. This is a decrease of 8.25% in road crashes, 7.9% in fatalities and 10% of injured victims in comparison to the previous year.
Both excessive speed and mixed traffic (e.g. horse-drawn carriages mixed with mopeds and modern automobiles) contribute to the number of road crashes, fatalities and injuries. The situation is particularly severe at night when visibility is low and the carriages are difficult to see. Another issue of primary concern is national roads passing through villages (linear villages). Facilities to slow traffic and side-walks for pedestrians are sparse and in some small villages they are missing all together. In addition, drinking and driving, poor vehicle condition, insufficient condition of the road infrastructure and non-use of seat belts are significant contributors to both road crashes and the severity of road crash injuries.
Road safety coordination
The Traffic Police (Ministry of Administration and Internal Affairs) is responsible for enforcing traffic laws, implementing public education and information campaigns on road safety and crash reporting. The National Company for Motorways and national Roads NCMNR is responsible for safety conditions on the national roads.
The Interministerial Council for Road Safety (CISR) has a consultative role on road safety matters and makes road safety policy suggestions to the Government and government agencies. However, it does not have a mandate or budget to ensure the implementation of the recommendations it makes. a coordinating role for road safety activities in Romania. It is located in the Romanian Transport Authority (ARR) and chaired by the Vice-Minister of Transport.
Other actors in road safety
Numerous international and domestic private sector companies are involved in road safety in Romania and some work together under the umbrella of the Romanian Road Safety Partnership.
Road safety initiatives are also undertaken by non-profit and civil society organisations such as the Romanian Road Haulers Union (UNTRR) and Romanian Association for International Road Transports (ARTRI), both of which are IRU members, the Romanian Automobile Club (a founding member of FIA), Romanian Association of Road Victims and the Romanian Red Cross. The technical universities (Polytechnic) in Romania together with the Romanian Society of Automotive Engineers (SIAR) developed a programme for training the trainers (University professors from all Romanian technical universities) which is the basis for post-academic studies in road safety.
The European Union supports the development of modern infrastructure along the pan-European corridors through is projects. The World Bank supports road safety developments in Romania via roads projects, which are implemented by the Ministry of Transport, Construction and Tourism (MTCT).
GRSP in Romania
Since the initiation of activities in Romania in early 2000, GRSP has worked closely with relevant government departments and agencies, the private sector, and civil society organisations.
GRSP has focused its efforts on strengthening and building relationships among the sectors; assisting new partners develop and implement road safety initiatives; and strengthening multi-sector cooperation in the area of road safety. Specific activities have focused on demonstration projects, conferences, building networks, training, recruiting new members and assisting in capacity building and institution strengthening activities in the field of road safety within Romania.
GRSP originally acted as a subcommision within the Interministerial Council for Road Safety and had a consultative role. In early 2007, the final official steps were taken to register GRSP as an association, the Romanian Road Safety Partnership, under Romanian law. The establishment of the Romanian Road Safety Partnership was given an official blessing by the office of the President. Members represent the private, non-governmental and public sector. They cooperate under the umbrella of the RRSP with the common aim to improve road safety in Romania.
Partners of GRSP Romania
Government: Ministry of Transport, Constructions and Tourism, including the Interministerial Council for Road Safety, RATB (Public Transport Bucharest), ARR (Romanian Road Authority), RAR (Romanian Road Register), NCMNR (National Company of Motorways National Roads); the Ministry of Interior and Administration, including the Traffic Police (national and in each of Romania’s 41 counties), Bucharest Municipality; Ministry of Health; Ministry of Education and Research.
Private Sector: 3M Romania, Shell-Gas Romania, ANSIT (Insurance), ASITRANS, Michelin, Search Corporation, Tachonan Service, Vesta Investment, Helvespid, Dacia-Renault, Nestle, Petrom-OMV .
NGO: ARTRI, UNTRR, Red Cross, SIAR, AVAC, APIA, APAP, SMURD,
Other agencies: World Bank Regional Office Bucharest, European Union Delegation in Romania, WHO liaison officer, UN, Global Compact.
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Projects
Road Systems Management
SIAR - GRSP Road Safety Academic Seminars
GRSP has cooperated closely with SIAR on the development of a four-part seminar series in response to the need for greater local capacity in road safety. The first seminar took place on 24-25 November 2005. The two day, interactive seminar was delivered by representatives of Romanian technical universities, the private sector and public institutions. The content includes: innovative safety design of passenger cars, road safety campaigns, improving road safety through better visibility, ITS in cars for road safety, accident reporting systems, safety management in goods transport, effective enforcement methods, introduction on the PIARC
Road Safety Manual, safety stratgies for companies with vehcile fleets, incident management, tyres as a safe link between road and vehicle, passive safety systems in vehicles.
A second seminar took place in November 2006 in Timisoara with the support of its Polytechnic University Centre.
The training was conducted in collaboration with specialists from Romanian universities and with the support of several organizations and companies representing the automotive industry.
Safer Roads Users
Rememberance Day
In collaboration with the Association of Road Accident Victims and the traffic police, GRSP assisted in the organisation of a Road Crash Victims Remembrance Day on November 16-18, 2006, at Parliament Palace.
The event consisted of a one day road safety seminar followed by a press conference and symbolic event - “DESPAIR ON THE ASPHALT”. Some 2500 people sat down on the street for several minutes in tribute to Romania’s road crash victims and as a symbol of the annual average number of crash victims in the country.
THINK BEFORE YOU DRIVE! (ongoing)
The Think Before you Drive road safety campaign is an FIA Foundation and Bridgestone Corporation initiative that is being rolled out around the world. GRSP Romania cooperated with the FIA Foundation and Bridgestone to initiate the campaign in Romania on 29 November 2006 at the Diplomatic Club from Bucharest.
The campaign promotes simple road safety messages and consists of four primary messages:
- Think. Always use your seat belt
- Think. Always use a child seat
- Think. Adjust your head restraint
- Think. Check your tyre condition
The Campaign is divided in two phases: evaluation studies (before and after) made at national level and in each county by the ACR (in their 41 county offices plus Bucharest city) together with the Polytechnic University of Timisoara and GRSP and the actual information campaign. This campaign will run in harmony with and in support of the road safety information and enforcement campaign being undertaken by the Traffic Police.
The preparations of the campaign started this year and the promotional materials are ready, waiting to be disseminated all over the country.
STOP TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS! LIFE HAS PRIORITY!(Stop accidentelor! Viata are prioritate!) (ongoing)
As a result of an excessive number of crashes in November 2005, the Ministry of Interior launched a programme of monthly road safety awareness campaigns led by the General Inspectorate of Police and at the request of the Prime-minister. The selection of the monthly themes was made after an analysis of root causes of road crashes in Romania undertaken by the Traffic Police.
The main goals of the campaign include:
- public awareness of the road accidents dynamic consequences;
- decreasing the number of road accidents caused by maladjusted speed;
- decreasing the number of road accidents caused by pedestrians indicipline;
- developing the institutional collaboration on this field;
GRSP and its partners took an active role in this partnership project and participated in a facilitating role in April 2006, which focused on the issue of seat belts, together with the Automobile Club (ACR) with FIA Foundation.
Diverse activities were undertaken within the scope of the campaign such as the drafting of local road safety plans, increased enforcement, media campaigns, educational materials and school programmes. It was implemented in two phases: education and information followed by increased enforcement of traffic laws by the police.
The traffic police continue to introduce a monthly campaign focusing on different road safety issues and warning traffic users about the dangers of road crashes. The selection of the themes is based on an analysis of road crash data in Romania. GRSP Romania is assisting in the development and implementation of these campaigns.
Safer Vehicles
Improved vehicles by volunteer tire checks at fuel stations (completed)
The aim of this project was to raise awareness among motor vehicle drivers about the importance of proper tyre maintence and in particular tyre pressure as a factor in preventing traffic crashes. The initiative took place for the first time in Romania in 2005 in 2005, all over the country in the following localities: Arad, Bac?u, Bra?ov, Bucure?ti, Constan?a, Craiova, Cluj, Ia?i, Oradea, Ploie?ti, Piatra Neam?, Târgu Mure?, Timi?oara, Sibiu ?i Zal?u.
Project leader: Michelin Partners: Traffic Police, CISR