On 21 February 2019, the EU institutions came to a provisional agreement on new road infrastructure safety rules. The agreement, however, fails to properly address the need for a harmonised approach to road traffic signs.

The institutions agreed that the scope of the Road Infrastructure Safety Management Directive should be extended beyond the TEN-T roads to all motorways, primary roads, and roads outside urban areas that have been built using EU funding.

This should bring a positive effect on road safety as the roads covered by the Directive will have stricter safety inspections and new roads will be designed in such a way that safety is better prioritised.

However, despite the original proposal to ensure that all traffic signs can be read by advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), the institutions have instead only agreed on developing specifications for traffic signs and markings.

With the expected deployment of numerous ADAS systems in vehicles over the coming years, some of which will rely on identifying road infrastructure, it remains to be seen if Europe’s roads will be ready to provide the needed support.

The provisional agreement will now have to be adopted by the Council and the Parliament.

[ENDS]

About FIA Region I

The FIA Region I office, based in Brussels, is a consumer body comprising 105 Mobility Clubs that represent over 35 million members from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The FIA represents the interest of these members as motorists, public transport users, pedestrians and tourists. The FIA’s primary goal is to secure a mobility that is safe, affordable, sustainable and efficient. With these aims in mind, FIA Region I’s work focuses on Road Safety, Consumer Protection, Environmental Protection, and the promotion of Sustainable Motoring. www.fiaregion1.com

Contact
Valentina Ferrara
Communications Manager
FIA Region I
vferrara[at]fia.com
+32 2 282 0813