PURPOSE: to reduce road fatalities and serious injuries on EU road networks by improving the safety performance of road infrastructure.
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Directive (EU) 2019/1936 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2008/96/EC on road infrastructure safety management.
CONTENT: this Directive revises Directive 2008/96/EC with a view to establishing a more systematic approach for safer road infrastructure. It is part of the EU's efforts to achieve its strategic objectives of halving the number of road deaths by 2020 compared to 2010 and approaching zero by 2050.
Scope
The Directive extends the scope of the current rules beyond the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) to cover motorways and primary roads outside the network as well as all roads situated outside urban areas, which are completed, in whole or in part, with EU funds.
Member States may exempt from the scope of the Directive primary roads presenting a low safety risk, on the basis of duly justified reasons related to traffic volumes and accident statistics. The Directive does not apply to road tunnels covered by Directive 2004/54/EC.
Each Member State must notify the Commission, by 17 December 2021 at the latest, of the list of motorways and primary roads located on its territory and, subsequently, of any subsequent amendments thereto, as well as of the list of roads which have been exempted.
Periodic road safety inspections
Member States shall ensure that the road network is subject to periodic road safety inspections with sufficient frequency to maintain adequate levels of safety for the road infrastructure in question. They shall ensure the safety of sections of the road network adjoining road tunnels covered by Directive 2004/54/EC by means of joint road safety inspections carried out at least every six years.
Follow-up of procedures for roads in operation
Publication of the results of network-wide road safety assessments should allow the level of road infrastructure safety to be compared across the Union. Member States shall ensure that remedial action is targeted primarily at road sections with low safety levels and which offer the opportunity for the implementation of measures with high potential for safety development and accident cost savings.
The needs of vulnerable road users should be taken into account in the implementation of road infrastructure management procedures. Vulnerable road users accounted for 47 % of road fatalities in the Union in 2017.
Road markings and road signs
Existing and future procedures for road markings and road signs must pay special attention to readability and detectability for human drivers and automated driver assistance systems. A group of experts established by the Commission shall, at the latest by June 2021, assess the opportunity to establish common specifications in this regard.
The assessment shall take into consideration in particular the following elements:
- the interaction between various driver assistance technologies and infrastructure;
- the effect of the weather and atmospheric phenomena as well as traffic on road markings and road signs present on the Union territory;
- the type and frequency of maintenance efforts necessary for various technologies, including an estimate of costs.
Information and transparency
The Commission shall publish a European map of the road network within the scope of the directive, accessible online, highlighting different categories according to their level of safety.
Member States shall endeavour to establish a national system for the purpose of voluntary reporting, accessible online to all road users, to facilitate the collection of details of occurrences transmitted by road users and vehicles, and of any other safety-related information which is perceived by the reporter as an actual or potential hazard to road infrastructure safety.
For its part, the Commission shall establish a system for the exchange of information and best practices between Member States, covering in particular road safety training programmes, existing road infrastructure safety projects and proven road safety technology.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 16.12.2019.
TRANSPOSITION: 17.12.2021.