System-wide approaches

A system-wide approach to road safety is a key element of road safety management, firstly to ensure a holistic approach to road safety and secondly, as a tool for realizing the shared responsibilities and accountabilities of the many sectors involved.

Research and experience in North America, Australia and Europe have shown that strategic road safety planning has helped to produce very substantial reductions in road deaths and serious injuries [56].

The European experience with road safety planning is broad. Review of the progress of countries with the lowest death rates in Europe – the UK, Sweden and the Netherlands - concluded that casualty reduction has been due to continuing planned systemic improvements [32]. Plans incorporating a clear vision and target represent key elements for galvanising funds to support key road safety strategies and measures [44].

As the chart below illustrates, road safety planning is a hierarchical process which comprises many inter-related elements. The experience over the years allows identification of good practice in each of these areas. The components of good road safety planning and how they come together to form a road safety programme are outlined in the shapes below with examples and links to external websites.