2024 ROADPOL Safety Days campaign will focus on aggressive road behavior. The network’s flagship campaign is set to be carried out 16-22 September as part ot ROAPDOL’s ongoing commitment to road safety across Europe.
Target
The decision to address the notorious road safety risk of aggression was made at the latest ROADPOL Council meeting in Malta in April 2024 with the aim of mitigating the impact of aggressive behaviors on road traffic in member countries. As part of the campaign an array of dangerous phenomenons will be targeted which all fall within the aggressive field. Among them are risky driving including speeding, tailgating, abrupt change of lanes, cutting off drivers, brake checking and honking. All forms of road rage such as engaging in aggressive or violent behavior toward other drivers, yelling, gesturing, fighting or using the vehicle as a weapon will also be in the focus. Drugged driving which is closely related to aggression on the roads will be another branch of the awareness raising campaign. The action will be also addressing illegal organized and spontaneous street racing which is increasingly reported in large and small cities across the continent. The campaign will mostly be directed to young drivers in the 18-30 age group which is proved to be most prone to aggressive and risky behavior as road users.
Phenomenon
„To ensure the success of the campaign ROADPOL gathered profound insights from police forces throughout Europe on various aspects related to aggressive behaviour”, chief of ROADPOL Operational Working Group Jana Peleskova from the Police of Czechia informs. “Valuable information was summarized on how different countries monitor aggressive driving incidents and what the legal definitions of aggressive driving are in various countries. Insights were gathered about the occurrence of aggression and the way it is sanctioned within the law frame of our members. We also wanted to know what preventive programs are in place and what measures have proven most effective in combating aggressive behavior on the roads аs well as if there are any upcoming legislative actions to counter this road safety risk”, added Peleskova.
This year’s campaign seeks to foster awareness, promote safer driving habits, and ultimately contribute to a reduction in road crashes caused by aggressive behaviors.
History
The Safety Days campaign has been organized since 2019 in ROADPOL member countries. Its purpose is to foster the strive to “Vision Zero” – the aspiration to eliminate road deaths in Europe once and forever. Currently, the European Union has set the year 2050 as a deadline for deadly crashes to become a thing of the past. 2030 is the deadline in which member countries must reduce victims by half compared to 2019 (last year before COVID-19 pandemic). Within the framework of the campaign, a specific day is determined in which the efforts of the authorities and society must be directed towards achieving the Zero. This year September 18 is the date chosen for the purpose. The campaign is always taking place between 16-22 September. It is designed to coincide with the EU Mobility Week, the European Commission’s flagship awareness-raising campaign on sustainable urban mobility in order to achieve a comprehensive approach ensuring that cities not only become greener but also safer for all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.
The operation was organized under the STRIDER III project, co-financed by the European Union.
