INFLUENCE OF HUMAN FACTOR ON ROAD TRAFFIC SAFETY IN LATVIA 19th of June, 2007 INFLUENCE OF HUMAN FACTOR ON ROAD TRAFFIC SAFETY IN LATVIA Aldis Lāma Accident database expert of Road Traffic Safety Directorate, Road safety expert of Road Traffic Research, Member of „CARE & RSPI national experts group” from Latvia in European Commission, Road Safety PIN panelist from Latvia in European Transport Safety Council. Satiksmes psiholoģija Eiropā un tās iespējamais pielietojums satiksmes drošības situācijas uzlabošanai Latvijā

The objectives of the presentation To give an overview of road traffic safety level in Latvia; To compare the road safety level of Latvia with that in the countries of EU; To analyse the main causes of road accidents and impact of human factor; To reveal the impact of implemented measures on road traffic safety; To analyse different excuses of road users to blanch over own behaviour in traffic.

Road traffic safety indices in Latvia During the last eleven years number of vehicles has increased 2,2 times and that of drivers 1,5 times; As road infrastructure remains practically the same the traffic has become more intensive; Number of injury accidents and number of injured persons went up 1,1 times in the last ten years, but number of killed decreased 1,6 times.

Decreasing of killed from 2001 till 2005 in EU countries

Killed per 1 million inhabitants in European Union

Killed per 1 million cars in European Union

The system “Road user-Vehicle-Environment” The system “Road user-Vehicle-Environment (condition of roads and weather)” sets specific problems of road traffic. Causes of the occurrence of road accidents can be divided in three main groups: Action of road users; Technical condition of vehicles; Impact of environment (condition of roads and weather).

Action of road users According to statistics the occurrence of road accidents is mainly related with road users’ actions. The increase of the level of road traffic safety mainly depends on human factor. The behavior of road users is one of the most important and most sophisticated factors in road safety. It must be in the centre of attention of all society as well as in the centre of attention of particular sciences.

The target of European Union The EU has set itself a target of halving the yearly number of road death between 2001 and 2010; The ETSC set down three key areas of road users behavior to improve overall road safety: speed; alcohol; use of seat belt and other protective systems.

Important causes of serious road traffic accidents in Latvia Speeding - 22,6% of all fatalities registered in 2006; Driving under the influence of alcohol - 20,6% of all fatalities registered in 2006; Manoeuvring and aggressive driving - 7,6% of all fatalities registered in 2006. Reducing the consequences of crashes Not using of a seat belt – only 77% of drivers and passengers in front seat used a seat belt in 2006.

How to affect the road users? To educate and to train the road users to behave safe; To create public opinion about safe behavior; To enforce the road users to behave safe; To improve the infrastructure of road network; To improve passive safety of vehicle.

Penalty point system – a powerful tool! The aim of the penalty point system is to separate the malicious and regular violators from those who are driving according to the road traffic rules. In 01.07.2004 Penalty point system entered into force in Latvia. It means that drivers for committed violations are punished both by fines and by receiving penalty points. The penalty point system besides punishment includes also information, rehabilitation and re-licensing.

Indicates before and after the implementation the penalty point system

Road traffic safety indicates

Driver’s skills improvement course If the number of received penalty points have come to 8 penalty points – a notification about the amount of received penalty points and the obligation to attend courses about road traffic safety “Driver’s skills improvement course” is sent to the violator. „Driver’s skills improvement courses” are split into two parts (each part is a three hours long lecture 3 x 45 min): „Behaviour of road traffic participants and factors that can have an impact on it”; „Assured behaviour of a driver in different road traffic situations”. Proposal to improve contents of courses with issue about psychologically correct attitude of road users towards safe moving in road traffic for offenders of Traffic regulations.

Speed and road traffic safety There is an increased risk to be involved in an accident both for vehicles driving slower or driving faster than the average traffic flow; Higher speed increases risk of occurrence of an accident because it shortens the period of time for drivers to take decision in critical situation and to perform manoeuvre of escape; Higher speed increases the damages of vehicles and severity of injuries of drivers; In its turn, the severity of the consequences of the accidents doesn’t increase straight proportionally to the increase of speed, but much faster; In the accident with pedestrians the possibility that the pedestrian will be killed increases rapidly if the speed at the moment of crash is higher. For example, if the speed of the vehicle at the moment of crash is 50km/h instead of 40km/h the risk that the pedestrian will be killed increases 2,5 times; Although speed limits are increasing the level of road traffic safety they are the most unpopular measures by the view of drivers.

Accidents under the influence of alcohol

Injury accidents in Midsummer day The three holidays of Midsummer Day (from 23rd to 25th of June) in 2000 were named “Bloody Midsummer days” when 26 people were killed.

Our excuses for not using seat belts "Seat belts are useless for short journeys..." As 80% of lethal traffic accidents occur 30 - 35 km from home and at a speed below 55-60 km/h, short journeys at such distance and speeds require the usage of seat belts the most. "Seat belt is useless when traveling slowly..." 70% of the injured people who have not been wearing seat belts have been injured when traveling at a speed below 50 km/h. A crash at a speed of 50 km/h is equal to falling down from the 4th floor! "I do not have accidents - I am a good driver..." Being a good driver can prevent you from having accidents, but you can’t be sure that a bad driver will not crash your car. "Seat belt is uncomfortable..." The reason that seat belts are found uncomfortable is that we are not using them. Once wearing seat belts becomes a habitual action, people do not think that it is uncomfortable. Even though the seat belt is uncomfortable, this can never be compared with the situation of someone who has become disabled after a traffic accident.

Our excuses for not using seat belts "I do not need a seat belt - I have an airbag..." Airbag is an additional protector only against severe crashes from the front. Airbag increases the effectiveness of the seat belt by 40 % and is placed in the car to assist the seat belt. Airbags can never take the place of seat belts in crashes from the sides and to prevent being thrown away. "I do not think this will happen to me - it happens to others." This is our point of view of life. It makes us feel better to think that accidents happen only to others. There are facts that should not be ignored. For instance, one out of three people is injured during a car crash that occurs at any time of their lives. We can not predict when this can happen to us. "Seat belt is my problem - it is none of anybody's business..." Traffic accidents cost trillions of money to a society. How can the damage and loss of a life for a feeling of freedom which is personally deceptive be accepted? Can staying at the hospital for months or being doomed to a wheelchair all of a lifetime be compared to this simple feeling of freedom?

Main conclusions The road safety in Latvia is improved during last years; Despite of achievements the level of road safety in Latvia is worse than the average level of European Union; The road safety mainly depends on actions of road users; It is necessary to build up psychologically correct attitude of road users towards safe moving in road traffic.

Thank you for attention! 19th of June, 2007 All information is collected from following home pages: www.csdd.lv www.csizpete.lv www.etsc.be www.erso.eu Thank you for attention!