Consideration should be given to reducing the permitted speed outside built-up areas on certain road sections where there is an increased danger, for example, up to 80 km/h, as a result of an informative report prepared by the Ministry of Transport on the interim impact assessment of the Road Safety Plan for 2021-2027, which will be viewed by the Government on Tuesday, the 7th of January.
Jānis Meirāns, advisor to the Minister of Transport, explained to LETA that the proposal is not about reducing the total permitted speed, so this would not apply in most cases.
“The proposal for an 80 km/h speed limit would only apply to certain road sections where there is an increased danger,” added Meirāns.
The ministry points out that a similar practice exists in Finland, where a maximum speed of 80 km/h is set outside populated areas, including on black pavement roads. At the same time, the ministry notes that Finland has a significantly lower number of road deaths per 1 000 residents compared to Latvia.
The Ministry of Transport also believes that consideration should be given to the possibility of reducing the speed limit in urban areas, such as densely populated areas up to 30 km/h or areas with a high flow of pedestrian and micro-mobility tools.
Based on the project implemented by the Ministry of Transport and the Road Traffic Safety Directorate (CSDD), carried out together with other European Union (EU) Member States, the European Commission (EC) and the Belgian company “VIAS Institute”, it is concluded that
the majority of vehicle motorists in Latvia do not comply with speed limits set in the country.
The study observed that only 29% of passenger cars outside populated areas comply with the 90 km/h speed limit. In urban areas, 52.6% of drivers observed speeds of up to 50 km/h.
In turn, another study highlights that the risk of serious injuries or even death to pedestrians increases significantly if the vehicle speed is above 30 km/h at the time of the collision.
The Ministry of Transport stresses that the plan aims to reduce the number of serious injuries and fatalities in road accidents by 35% by 2027 compared to 2020. The goals set out in the plan may not be achieved by the measures planned so far, so new additional measures are needed to improve road safety.
The Ministry of Transport’s information report includes about 30 new measures to improve road safety, from which the intention to implement a “zero-tolerance policy” against speeding up to 10 km/h is distinguished as a high priority. The ministry plans to implement it by the 31st of July of this year.
As other high-priority intentions, the ministry highlights the proposal to introduce a systematic study of serious accidents and expand the control of road users – to install at least 16 new average speed control radars, as well as other equipment for the control of violations, such as traffic lights and public transport lane violations. So far, 16 average speed control radars have been introduced.
The ministry proposes implementing a pilot project to assess the fatigue of drivers of public passenger buses and trucks carrying goods, carrying out an assessment to improve the safety of micro-mobility services, imposing an obligation on providers of micro-mobility services to introduce reaction tests for all vehicle rentals on holiday nights.
As a priority, the plan proposes to improve the control of road users by implementing a change in the policy on penalties for violations in road traffic, as well as to improve the training of road users by increasing the training requirements for new drivers.
The report also includes medium-term measures to be implemented within the term of the existing plan or shortly after. Among other things, the ministry recommends an assessment of the effectiveness of the existing penalty policy, as well as the possibility of introducing a progressive administrative penalty policy, as well as a solution to take into account the violations recorded by the driver, including by technical means, when determining the amount of the insurance returns.
In turn, the ministry has set as long-term priorities the reduction of road connections and turning points, elimination of left turns, improvement of road maintenance in the summer period, for example, roadside mowing. The ministry also recommends evaluating the possibilities of confiscating a car with significant defects in its technical condition, expanding the number of available parking areas for freight vehicles and information about their locations, and taking other long-term measures.
In the view of the Ministry of Transport, regulatory enactments play a crucial role in ensuring road traffic safety. Similarly, standards relating to road design, construction, maintenance and signage provide a consistent framework for road safety. Road safety experts in discussions assessing the need for new improvements and improvements in road infrastructure, such as the separation of opposing lanes with delimiting poles, the rebuilding of intersections at a 90-degree angle, the introduction of a distance designation, etc.
The Ministry of Transport assumes that road safety experts discuss various solutions to motivate road users to behave responsibly in road traffic, for example, for the purpose of improving road safety, a proposal for determining the amount of the insurance premium is assessed, taking into account the violations recorded by the driver, including by technical means.
The ministry states that the measures it proposes should be addressed in conjunction with the change in the behaviour and perception of the population, for example, by choosing safe driving appropriate for road traffic, reducing alcohol consumption and drunkenness, as well as ensuring appropriate technical state of the vehicle.