The European Commission recently announced the winners of the 2024 Excellence in Road Safety Awards. The awards recognise innovative road safety projects from across Europe in five categories: education, motorcycling, vulnerable road users, technology and innovation, and urban road safety.
The awards recognise the best contributions by the European Road Safety Charter‘s community of organisations, authorities and companies towards safer roads across Europe.
The 2024 winners are: European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), Europe – for advancing traffic safety and mobility education across Europe through the LEARN! Project; Kuratorium für Verkehrssicherheit, Austria – for implementing special road markings on bends to reduce risky manoeuvres and motorcycle crashes; Axencia Galega de Infraestruturas, Spain – for creating walking and cycling paths connecting interurban areas as part of Galicia’s alternative mobility strategy; Center for Traffic Management Bavaria, Germany – for developing intelligent systems, like the ‘Traffic lights of the future’, to improve traffic safety and flow; and the Municipality of Bologna, Italy – for the ‘Bologna City 30’ initiative, focusing on low-speed zones, pedestrian and cycling areas, public awareness campaigns, and increased police patrols.
The People’s Choice Award, voted by the audience at the award ceremony, was granted to Platforma VIZE 0 of Czechia with its campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of aggressive driving.
The EU has set a target of ‘Vision Zero’ – zero road fatalities and serious injuries by 2050, with a 50% reduction target by 2030. However, progress has stalled, with 20,400 road deaths recorded in 2023 alone, and many EU countries falling behind on targets. Greater action is needed across all levels: EU, national, regional, and local authorities, along with companies, NGOs, associations, schools, and individuals. Organisations can join the European Road Safety Charter to share expertise, learn, and collaborate to reduce road deaths across Europe.
Background
The European Road Safety Charter, initiated in 2004 by the European Commission, is the largest civil society platform on road safety. More than 4,000 public and private entities (companies of all types and sizes, automobile clubs, associations, schools, local authorities and others) have committed to the Charter. The Charter invites members to make a commitment to taking a specific measurable action within their area of responsibilities. Since 2006, the Excellence in Road Safety Awards have been presented to organisations that have carried out particularly interesting and effective road safety initiatives.
Source: European Commission
