INTRINSIC ROAD SAFETY: A NEW APPROACH?

IN THE YEAR 1991, THE DUTCH MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT, PUBLIC WORKS AND WATER MANAGEMENT CONCLUDED THAT ITS POLICY REGARDING ROAD SHOULD BE SHARPENED IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE ITS GOAL FOR ROAD IN THE YEAR 2010. THAT GOAL IS AS FOLLOWS: 50% REDUCTION OF DEAD AND 40% REDUCTION OF WOUNDED PERSONS IN COMPARISON WITH THE YEAR 1986. THIS NEW POLICY IS CALLED INTRINSIC SAFETY. THE IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF THIS COURSE OF ACTION ARE: (1) A GREATER DEGREE OF CONTROL OF STRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENTS; (2) INCREASED ACTION IN ORDER TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS WITH PRIORITY GIVEN TO REDUCING THE SEVERITY OF THE ACCIDENT CONSEQUENCES; (3) GREATER ATTENTION FOR AN INTEGRAL APPROACH OF TRAFFIC SAFETY, THROUGH INFLUENCING ALL KINDS OF DECISION MAKERS OUTSIDE THE TRAFFIC AREA; AND (4) NOT VIEWING AND TREATING THE HUMAN ASPECTS, THE ROADS AND THE VEHICLES IN ISOLATION, BUT PRIMARILY FOCUSING ATTENTION ON THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THESE COMPONENTS. AT THE MOMENT, THE MINISTRY HAS INAUGURATED SOME ACTIONS, WHICH WILL BE A MORE SPECIFIC ELABORATION OF INTRINSIC SAFETY. THIS PAPER ANALYZES WHETHER THIS NEW POLICY IS A TOTALLY NEW CONCEPT RATHER THAN AN INTENSIFICATION OF THE OLD COURSE OF ACTION. IT ALSO DISCUSSES A FEW PROBLEMS, WHICH MAY OCCUR WHEN THE INTRINSIC SAFETY APPROACH IS ELABORATED IN THE NEAR FUTURE. FOR THE COVERING ABSTRACT OF THE CONFERENCE SEE IRRD 860351.