Monitoring Centre for Road Safety and Accident Prevention

Summary

The creation of a resource and information management centre was identified as an effective way of improving road safety, reducing the number of road accidents and identifying potential accident hotspots.

Implementing sustainable mobility

The methodology for the collection of data on road accidents and for the way those data are used has a direct influence on road safety. In Krakow, prior to measure implementation, there was a good level of cooperation between stakeholders in obtaining high-quality data. Each year a report on road safety was produced and areas for improvement were identified.

The use of new technologies for data collection helps to improve the process, contributing to better overall road safety. The main goal of Krakow’s new monitoring centre for road safety and accident prevention was therefore to implement operational plans to reduce accident risks in critical situations and to develop strategies to improve safety.

Progress

During the CIVITAS CARAVEL project, a study on the establishment of the monitoring centre was compiled. Based on the findings of this document, members of the police were equipped with mobile computers (palmtops and laptops) and new software for the completion of standardised data forms at the site of an accident for submission to the monitoring centre.

Outcomes

Data exchange and the standardisation of data collection processes contribute to a better understanding of the real causes of road accidents. After testing several solutions, the collection of field data by the police proved to be the most efficient option. The usefulness of the new road safety data in improving road safety was also highlighted, for example via the addition of extra categories for describing public transport accidents and collisions.