Belgian KEY INDICATORS ROAD SAFETY 215
foreword Every day, on average, two people lose their lives in accidents on Belgian roads. To this figure may be added 1 people severely injured and more than 1 slightly injured. Every day, nearly 1, accidents with material damage also happen. Even though determining the causes of a particular accident is not always easy, it appears that a multitude of factors have an impact on road safety and consequently, the total number of road traffic accidents. These factors include mobility habits, driving ability, behaviour of road users, and even the state of vehicles and infrastructures. Given the multitude of factors which influence road safety, it is not always easy to gain a full insight into the situation. This brochure seeks to take a step in that direction by compiling a range of information, not only on road traffic accidents, but also a series of connected factors affecting the accident risk. Most figures have already been published elsewhere, in various reports from the BRSI and other organisations. The added value of this brochure is that it groups them in a single document to be used as a convenient vade mecum by people interested in road safety. The brochure s style is voluntarily brief. We have selected a few major themes in the field of road safety. For each theme, only a few key indicators and minimum comments are included. At the end of the brochure, interested readers will find the sources used and references to further reading on certain themes. The themes are covered in the following order: Theme 1: Accidents and victims Theme 2: Mobility and risk exposure Theme 3: Driving ability Theme 4: Road user s behaviour Theme 5: Infrastructure Theme 6: Enforcement The BRSI hopes you enjoy reading this brochure! 3
contents 1. Road fatalities... 4 2. Road injuries... 5 3. Types of injury... 6 4. Severity of accidents... 7 5. Age and gender of victims... 8 6. Mode of transport of victims... 9 7. Material accidents... 1 8. Volume of motor vehicle traffic...11 9. Volume of non-motor vehicle traffic... 12 1. Age and gender of car drivers... 13 11. Vehicle fleet... 14 12. Vehicle inspection... 15 13. Possession of driving licences... 16 14. Driving tests... 17 15. Speeds... 18 16. Driving under the influence of alcohol.19 17. Seatbelt wearing rate... 2 18. Child restraint systems... 21 19. Hand held telephone use at the wheel.22 2. Road infrastructure... 23 21. Offences recorded by the police... 24 22. Perceived risk of being checked... 25 4
1.1 Change in the number of deaths within 3 days 3 25 2 15 2396 1976 147 1Road fatalities 1 5 841 724 In Belgium, a road fatality refers to anyone who is killed at the scene of an accident or who succumbs to its injuries within 3 days of the accident. Those killed at the scene are recorded by the police, which is responsible for completing a road traffic accident analysis form and a report for any accident leading to bodily injury. Anyone who dies in the next 3 days is recorded by the courts. All of the information is centralised by the federal public service Statistics Belgium, which calculates the total number of road traffic accident fatalities (or deaths within 3 days ). The definition of death within 3 days is now a European standard, used to compare accident rates in different countries. Despite the constant increase in traffic on Belgian roads, the number of fatalities has been declining since the 7s. 1.2 Change in the number of deaths within 3 days by region 12 1 8 6 4 2 198 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 199 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 21 211 212 213 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 21 211 212 213 Brussels Flanders Wallonia 1.3 Deaths within 3 days by billion traveller-kilometres in europe in 212 3 25 2 15 1 5 2.6 5.9 6.5 25.4 Sweden United Kingdom Denmark Ireland Finland Germany Netherlands France Malta Luxembourg Slovenia Spain Italy Europe 28 Belgium Austria Estonia Cyprus Portugal Lithuania Greece Slovakia Czech Republic Hungary Bulgaria Croatia Latvia Poland Romania 5
2 Road injuries An effective road safety policy must also ensure that the number of people injured on the road decreases. However, we do not know exactly this number. In fact, injuries are under-reported, mainly because the police are not always called to the scene of injury accidents as they should normally be. Official statistics significantly underestimate the number of vulnerable road users injured (pedestrians, cyclists, moped and motorcycle drivers) compared with the number of people injured among car drivers and passengers. The BRSI no longer uses the old concept of seriously injured person, defined as a road traffic accident victim staying in hospital for at least 24 hours, as it is unreliable. It is indeed difficult for the police, who are not medically trained, to estimate at the scene of an accident the seriousness of injuries and how long victims are likely to be in hospital. The BRSI now identifies people severely injured based on the AIS medical scale. Any victim whose most serious injury is associated with a score of 3 or more (MAIS3+) is considered severely injured. These are often injuries with long-term effects, of which many victims never fully recover. 2.1 Change in the number of injury accidents and in the number of injured road users 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2.2 65387 49313 65273 49182 65844 49815 64438 48827 Change in the number of mais3+ injured 4 35 3 25 2 15 1 62721 47798 25 26 27 28 29 21 211 212 213 3523 Injury accidents Injured MAIS 3+ (hospital data) 3369 317 3288 Injured road users 6362 45918 62861 47945 57763 44234 Injured MAIS 3+ (estimate) 53967 41279 348 2991 2979 5 28 29 21 211 212 213 214 6
3 Types of injury Of all injuries recorded among hospitalised road victims, more than 5 are fractures to the upper or lower limbs, or internal brain injuries. The 7 most common types of injury are also in the top 1 types of injury in each category of road user and each age group. Fractures to the skull are the injuries which proportionally most often have serious consequences: 86% of skull fractures are of MAIS3+ seriousness. 3.1 Types of injury amongst hospitalised road victims (24-211) 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2 5% 6% 17% 6% 2% 9% 7% 4% 16% 17% 22% 3% 17% 32% 18% All injuries Injuries MAIS 3+ Other Fractured skull Internal chest injury Fractured spine Fracture in the chest Fracture to upper limbs Fracture to lower limbs Internal brain injury 3.2 Types of injury amongst hospitalised road victims, by type of user (24-211) 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Internal brain injury Fracture to lower limbs Fracture to upper limbs Fracture in the chest Fractured spine Internal chest injury Fractured skull 19% 18% 5% 7% 3% 3% 4% 4% 6% 7% 1 23% 16% 29% Other 24% 22% 24% 24% Cyclist Pedestrian Motorist Motor vehicle passenger 23% 18% 18% 25% 3% 4% 4% 5% 7% 5% 8% 5% 7% 8% 9% 7% 6% 9% 12% 12% 11% 2 9% 1 26% 11% 8% 26% 14% 22% Motorcyclist Motorcycle or or person on moped moped passenger 7
4 Severity of accidents Accident severity is defined as the number of deaths within 3 days for every 1, recorded injury accidents. Like the number of fatalities, this indicator has also tended to decline since the 7s. There are significant geographical disparities: accidents are about twice as severe in Wallonia as in Flanders. The severity is even lower in the Brussels region. Accidents only involving a single road user are more severe than other types of accident, probably because speed plays a major role in this type of accident. Vehicle type is also important: the larger a vehicle, the more damage it will cause to the other party in a collision. 4.1 Change in accident severity in belgium Deaths within 3 days / 1, accidents 4.2 Change in accident severity by region Deaths within 3 days / 1, accidents 25 2 15 1 5 4 35 3 25 2 15 1 5 22.1 21.8 21.5 19.3 19.7 18.3 18. 17.4 17.5 25 26 27 28 29 21 211 212 213 35.6 36.9 37.1 18. 17.2 16.5 15.8 16. 15. 14.2 13.7 14.7 7.1 6.6 7.6 3.7 31.7 8.8 28.7 7.3 8.2 3. 6.4 28.5 27.4 25 26 27 28 29 21 211 212 213 9.5 6.7 Brussels Flanders Wallonia 4.3 Accident severity by type of user involved (213) Deaths within 3 days / 1, accidents 5 4 3 2 1.2 3.2 5. 12.5 9.2 9.9 9.3.2 23. 2.6 7.3 1.5 31. 39.3 5.9 In another vehicle in the collision In the vehicle in question 8
5 Age and gender of victims Men and women, as well as young and elderly people, do not behave the same way in traffic. Some people spend more time on the roads as others and some adopt more dangerous behaviours. These two factors, exposure to risk and the risk of an accident as such, explain the disparities observed amongst different age groups and genders in accident statistics. Most road casualties are men. Young people aged between 15 and 3 are much more at risk of being injured or killed than other age groups, which explains the high number of victims in this age range. However, the difference in risk between young people and other age groups has decreased in the last ten years. 5.1 Change in the number of vehicle kilometres in belgium 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 5.2 173 55 Deaths within 3 days 22525 3964 Injured Distribution of vehicle kilometres across different types of vehicle (212) 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 151 169 258 119 26 Deaths within 3 days 4739 12426 1969 1289 6744 Injured Women Men 66+ 4-65 25-39 18-24 17-5.3 International comparison between numbers of car passenger kilometres by inhabitant (212) Casualties / 1, inhabitants 14 12 1 8 6 4 2-4 5-9 1-14 15-19 2-24 25-29 3-34 35-39 4-44 45-49 5-54 55-59 6-64 65-69 7-74 75-79 8-84 85-89 9-94 95+ Men Women 9
6 Mode of transport of victims The mode of transport influences the likelihood of being the victim of a road accident. Car drivers are the most frequent casualties in absolute number but this is because cars predominate on our roads. In graph 6.2, values are arbitrarily standardised at 1 for 25. The values for other years therefore represent the percentage of change from 25. Given that in bus/ coach, van or HGV accidents, it is more frequently the other party which is injured or killed, it is the change in total numbers of casualties recorded in these accidents which is represented in the graph. Analysis in terms of relative risk gives another information. The risk of being killed or seriously injured of a user category is calculated by dividing the number of users killed or severely injured (MAIS3+) in the category considered by its share of kilometres covered on our roads. The result is then standardised to compare it with the average car driver s risk, set arbitrarily at 1. For example, this means that the risk of a pedestrian aged 6 to 14 being the victim of a road accident is 1.5 times greater than the risk of the average car driver travelling the same distance. 6.1 Distribution of casualties by mode of transport (213) 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 6.2 Change in number of casualties by mode of transport 25 = base 1 6.3 12 11 1 9 8 7 6 13 34 53 1767 342 3562 12 3327 13 4168 73 8152 99 4295 Deaths within 3 days Injured Relative risk of being killed or severely injured (mais3+) by mode of transport and age Age 25 26 27 28 29 21 211 212 213 Pedestrian Cyclist Road user type Bicycles Others / Unknown Lorries Buses or coaches Vans Cars Motorcycles Mopeds Bicycles Pedestrians Pedestrians Victims of bus/coach accidents Motorcycles Victims of van accidents Cars Moped - Motorcycle Car driver Car passenger Mopeds Victims of lorry accidents Passenger bus & tram All users 6-14 1.5 18.9.3.3 1.6 15-17 7.7 1.5 1.4-4.1 18-24 4.9 8 72.6 4.3 2.5-4.6 25-44 4.7 12.5 55.8.8.9.3 1.7 45-64 6.2 21.6 41.5.7.5 1.3 2.1 64-74 12 92.6 1.1 1.3 1 4.4 75+ 27.5 122.9 3.4 3.1 7.1 1.9 All age groups 8.1 23 57 1 1.6 2.5 1
7 Material accidents Fortunately, most accidents which occur on Belgian roads do not cause bodily injury. The number of accidents resulting only in material damage cannot be estimated based on the police reports, as it is not always called to the scene of material accidents. Insurance data does enable this. By comparing the number of people with civil liability insurance for tourism and business, known to be at fault or partially at fault in a claim with the total number of vehicles insured this way, we can define claim frequency. So, claim frequency is the percentage of vehicles (insured) which caused an accident during the year. By multiplying this frequency by the total number of cars in circulation, we obtain an estimate of the total number of accidents caused by vehicles covered by tourism and business civil liability insurance. Material accidents account for just over 9 of reported claims. To determine the total number of material accidents, one would have to add accidents concerning vehicles insured in other ways (for example, motorcycles and utility vehicles), vehicles insured abroad, and uninsured vehicles (for example, bicycles), but this data is not easily available, if at all. Accidents involving a single vehicle which does not have fully comprehensive insurance or in which the people concerned reach an amicable agreement without going through their insurance company are not covered in insurance statistics either. 7.1 Change in the number of claims concerning vehicles covered by civil liability insurance for tourism and business Number of claims 7.2 4 35 3 25 2 15 1 5 285991 36547 With bodily injury 292498 3495 294731 34156 39413 3544 With material damage only Frequency of claims concerning vehicles covered by civil liability insurance by age and gender (213) Frequency of claims 2 18% 16% 14% 12% 1 8% 6% 4% 2% 32385 35688 24 25 26 27 28 29 21 211 212 213 Men Women 18 19 2 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 3 31-4 41-51 51-6 61-7 71-75 76-8 81-85 86-9 91+ Age 3316 34368 346495 33921 33632 341 321235 3266 32431 29141 11
8 Volume of motor vehicle traffic The traffic volume directly influences the number of accidents which happen in a country. It is therefore important to consider this factor when estimating accident risk. The number of vehicle kilometres is the total distance covered by motor vehicles. This indicator is frequently used to relativize road traffic accident statistics and compare the risks between several different geographical entities. Passenger kilometres are a similar indicator, obtained by multiplying vehicle kilometres by the number of vehicle occupants. It is a measurement of exposure to the risk of becoming a road accident victim. 8.1 Change in the number of vehicle kilometres in belgium Billions of vehicle kilometres 8.2 12 1 8 6 4 2 197 1975 Distribution of vehicle kilometres across different types of vehicle (212) 1,4% 198 1985 199 Year 1995 2 25 8,5% Personal cars 78,5% Light utility vehicles Lorries Buses and coaches Special vehicles Motorcycles 21 8.3 International comparison between numbers of car passenger kilometres per inhabitant (212) Passenger kilometers / inhabitant (thousands) 14 12 1 8 6 4 2 3.8 9.1 1.4 Romania Slovakia Hungary Poland Malta Latvia Croatia Czech Republic Bulgaria Spain Cyprus Portugal Estonia Netherlands Greece Austria Europe 28 Denmark Italy Lithuania United Kingdom Ireland Belgium Germany Sweden Finland Slovenia France Luxembourg 12.8 12
9 Volume of non-motor vehicle traffic The volume of non-motor vehicle traffic (cyclists, pedestrians) is not exactly known. Non-motor vehicles are neither registered nor insured, which makes it very difficult to regularly track their volume in traffic. Estimates of the volume of pedestrian traffic are made on a oneoff basis, based on observations and mobility surveys, such as, for example, the Beldam survey, whose results are shown on this page. They show that the share of pedestrians and cyclists is modest, as these means of transport are mainly used for short journeys. It should be noted that Beldam is a survey focussing on Belgian households. Travel in Belgium by people not living in the country is therefore not taken into account. 9.1 Share represented by the different means of transport (railway not included) by age Percentage of kilometers covered 9.2 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 6-14 15-17 18-24 25-44 45-64 65-74 75+ Age Declared walking practice 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 6 23% 6% 2% 9% 32% 29% 4 37% 25% 28% 17% 14% 15% 7% 6% 6% 14% 15% 14% Brussels Flanders Wallonia Belgium Autre Pedestrian Bicycle Motorcycle / Moped Bus / tram Car At least 5 days a week 1 to a few days a week 1 to a few days a month 1 to a few days a year Never 9.3 Declared bicycle use 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 5% 4% 9% 7% 13% 2 1 11% 17% 16% 24% 2 14% 16% 17% 59% 16% 58% 39% 24% Brussels Flanders Wallonia Belgium At least 5 days a week 1 to a few days a week 1 to a few days a month 1 to a few days a year Never 13
1 Age and gender of car drivers The age and gender of car drivers travelling on Belgian roads do not match with the population in general. In particular, we observe under-representation of women amongst car occupants, especially amongst drivers. The proportion of different age groups in traffic varies considerably depending the time of the week, the share of young drivers being higher at night (1 p.m. To 6 a.m.) Than during the day. These variations must be considered when interpreting variations in terms of the number of accidents by gender and age. 1.1 Proportion of men, women and minors amongst car occupants (212) 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1.2 1.5% 39.9% 49.6% 35.5% 64.5% 27.8% 47.1% 25.1% All car occupants Drivers Passengers Minors Adult women Adult men DISTRIBUTION OF CAR DRIVERS BY AGE GROUP AND TIME OF THE WEEK (212) 1 9 8 28.8% 2.4% 29.6% 14.1% 7 6 5 34.2% 33.2% 33.9% 32.3% 55+ 4-54 4 3 28.4% 32.9% 26-39 25-2 27.8% 26.4% 1 18.1% 2.7% 9.2% 1.2% Weekday Week night Weekend day Weekend night 14
11.1 Change in the number and distribution of personal cars by age 11 Vehicle fleet The number and safety level of vehicles travelling on the roads of course influence road safety. Younger cars most often contain active or passive safety technologies likely to prevent accidents or reduce their severity, such as, for example, seatbelt reminders, side airbags and electronic stability control. The number of personal cars is increasing in Belgium (statistics up to 24: as at 1st January ; after 24: as at 1st August). Even though the share of young vehicles has slightly decreased since 212, Belgium is one of the European countries with the youngest vehicles. 6 5 4 3 2 1 11.2 4422342 1997 1998 2 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 21 211 212 213 214 Distribution by age of personal cars by region (211) 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 25. 24.5% 23.1% 22.4% 27. 24.2% 23.8% 21.1% 28. 26. 2.4% 33.9% 23.1% 23.5% 25.8% 28. Belgium Brussels Flanders Wallonia 5555499 11 years upwards 6 to 1 years included 3 to 5 years included Up to 2 years Total private cars 11 years upwards 6 to 1 years included 3 to 5 years included Up to 2 years 11.3 International comparison of the distribution of private cars by age (212) 1 8 6 4 2 Belgium Denmark Austria Ireland Sweden Luxembourg Germany Netherlands United Kingdom France Czech Republic Spain Italy Slovenia Finland Croatia Malta Estonia Portugal Cyprus Poland Romania Latvia Hungary Lithuania 1 years upwards 5 to 1 years 2 to 5 years Under 2 years 15
12.1 Change in vehicle inspection results for the personal vehicle category 12 Vehicle inspection The quality and safety of personal cars, utility vehicles and buses operating on public roads are checked regularly during a vehicle inspection. Every year, more than 4,5, vehicles undergo these assessments through companies which are members of the GOCA (the federation of companies approved to assess vehicles and driving licences). A vehicle will receive a green inspection certificate when it does not have any technical defect which could endanger the driver or other road users. Otherwise, a red inspection certificate will be issued, which still gives owners the chance to have their vehicles reassessed once defects have been repaired. 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 12.2 33.1% 32.2% 32.8% 32.5% 41.6% 43.2% 43.7% 44.2% 1.4% 1.4% 1.5% 1.5% 22.7% 22. 2.9% 2.6% 1.2% 1.2% 1.1% 1.2% 21 211 212 213 Vehicle inspection results by type of vehicle (213) 1 8 6 4 2 32.5% 36. 27.9% 44.2% 41.2% 47.5% 46.8% 32.4% 22. 55.4% 2.6% 2.3% 2.8% 14.1% 18.6% Personal vehicles Second-hand vehicles Utility vehicles Trailers/Semitrailers Bus/Coach Green certificate with no comment Green certificate with comment 3-month green certificate Reduced validity red certificate Driving ban red certificate Green certificate with no comment Green certificate with comment 3-month green certificate Reduced validity red certificate Driving ban red certificate 12.3 Percentage of vehicles presented late at the vehicle inspection (213) 1.6% 1.8% 3.7% 1.6% 82.3% No delay Under a month 1 to 3 months 3 to 6 months More than 6 months 16
13 Possession of driving licence A high percentage of Belgians over 16 hold a driving licence. Since 212, the a central databank ( Banque Carrefour ) has collected information on issue of licences. The indicator number of licences issued covers all licence categories and both first issues, changes of category and duplicates. As at 15 th January 215, the Banque Carrefour records 7,659,797 active B licences. However, this is a slight overestimation of the real situation because licences are not always deleted from the database when their holders die. Therefore, to determine the rate of licence possession amongst the elderly, we produce an estimate based on the Beldam survey. It indicates that the difference in rates of licence possession amongst men and women is high amongst the elderly but smaller amongst the young. 13.1 Change in the number of driving licences issued 6 5 4 3 2 1 13.2 Rate of driving licence possession by age and gender (212) 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 13.3 47.9% 4.5% 44,893 448,769 414,522 224,647 229,844 228,582 512,38 23,47 21 211 212 213 87.5% 94.7% 94. 93.9% 93.5% 84.8% 79.1% 86.5% 82.9% 78.8% 64.6% Provisional licences Permanent licences 41. 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+ Rate of driving licence possession amongst people aged 18 or over by region (212) Men Women 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 62.9% 81.1% 76.1% 9.8% 5.8% 27.3% 4.6% 14.3% 18.1% Brussels Flanders Wallonia Licence Learning No licence 17
14 Driving tests To assess their ability to drive, future drivers of motor vehicles take a driving test. Licence B, attempted by the vast majority of candidates, concerns cars (with maximum authorised mass not exceeding 3,5 kg and number of seats fewer than 8 plus the driver s seat). The driving test formula has changed several times in the last few years. The current theoretical Licence B exam contains 5 questions, of which the candidate must answer 41 correctly to pass. Until 26, the practical test included an exercise on private ground, passing which would grant access to the next part on public roads. The statistics shown on this page for passing the practical test only include the public road part of the test. 14.1 Change in licence B pass rates 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 14.2 Licence B pass rates by gender (213) 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 14.3 59.9% 55.7% 6.1% 51. 6.8% 47.4% 65.2% 49.1% 51.4% 48.3% 54.8% 46.4% 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 21 211 212 213 44.5% 46.8% Theory test Licence B pass rates by age (213) 56.2% 47.4% 55.2% 46.8% 54.6% 46.2% 54.9% 54.1% 47.5% 52.9% Practical test 53.9% 45.6% Theory test Practical test Men Women 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 52. 44. 29.5% Theory test 58.1% 53.9% 4.8% Practical test 2-2-3 3+ 18
15 Speeds Speed influences both the risk of an accident and the accident severity. It is therefore important to monitor driven speeds to assess the level of safety on the roads. Free speed is the speed chosen by drivers when they are not impeded by constraints in terms of traffic volume or infrastructure. It is measured on straight roads, where there is no traffic congestion, where there are no speed bumps, crossroads or bends nearby. It is a good indicator of the risk taken by drivers at the wheel. An average free speed close to or greater than the speed limit indicates that several people are exceeding it and therefore might lead to hazardous situations on the roads. 15.1 Change in average free speed of cars Average free speed (km/h) 15.2 12 1 8 6 4 2 3 km/h roads near schools with no traffic calming infrastructure 5 km/h roads 7 km/h roads Single-lane 9 km/h roads Motorways 51.9 51. 48.6 46.3 44.3 27 28 29 21 212 54.7 55.6 53.4 53.6 52.5 27 28 29 21 212 Average free speed of cars by region (212) Average free speed (km/h) 12 1 8 6 4 2 39.5 44.2 44.5 3 km/h roads near schools with no traffic calming infrastructure 44.8 52.8 52,3 74. 74. 74.2 71.2 71.9 27 28 29 21 212 Brussels Flanders Wallonia 69.3 73.4 86.9 85.1 87. 83.5 82.1 27 28 29 21 212 8.3 83.4 5 km/h roads 7 km/h roads Single-lane 9 km/h roads 117.1 119.1 Motorways 117.9 211 15.3 Difference in average free speed comparing to cars by type of vehicle Vans Motorcycles Motorscooters Difference in average speed compared with cars (km/h) 8 6 4 2-2 -4 -.4 3.6-1,2 5.6 6.6 3.8.7-2.7-2.4-2.8-1.8-2.3-3. 5 km/h roads 7 km/h roads Single-lane 9 km/h roads Two-lane 9 km/h roads.1-2.1 Motorways 19
16 Driving under the influence of alcohol Alcohol considerably alters the ability to drive and therefore increases the risk of an accident. In Belgium, a person is considered to be driving under the influence of alcohol when the alcohol concentration in their breath is greater than or equal to.22 mg/l (equivalent to.5 g/l of blood). In conjunction with the police, the BRSI regularly measures the evolution of drink driving behaviour. The prevalence of driving under the influence of alcohol is the percentage of alcohol offenders among drivers controlled at random by the police. This prevalence varies significantly according to the time of the week, the age and the gender of the driver. 16.1 Change in prevalence of driving under the influence of alcohol 4% 3% BrAC,35 mg/l 2% 2.1% 1.4% 1.4% 1.4% 1.1% BrAC,22 and <,35 mg/l 1% 1..7%.9% 1.2% 1. 23 25 27 29 212 16.2 Prevalence of driving under the influence of alcohol by age 3% 2% 1.6% 1.4% BrAC,35 mg/l 1.3% 1%.8% BrAC,22 and <,35 mg/l.9% 1. 1.2%.8% 25-26 - 39 4-54 55+ 16.3 Prevalence of driving under the influence of alcohol according to the time of the week (212) 9% 8% 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1%.8%.9% 1.4% 1. 1.6% 1.2% 1.3%.8% Weekday Week night Weekend day Weekend night BrAC,35 mg/l BrAC,22 and <,35 mg/l 2
17.1 Seatbelt wearing rate amongst car drivers and front seat passengers 17 Seatbelt wearing rate 56.6% 66.3% 66.5% 73.8% 78.6% 79.9% 82.3% 85.6% 86.4% 3 The seatbelt is one of the key passive safety devices seeking to reduce the consequences of an accident. It has been compulsory to use it in Belgium since 1975 for the driver and front passenger and since 1991 for back seat passengers. Belgian behaviour statistics only currently focus on seatbelt wearing rates in the front of vehicles, but surveys have shown that this rate is much lower at the back of vehicles than it is observed in the front. 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 2 1 17.2 Seatbelt wearing rate amongst car drivers and front seat passengers by gender 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 17.3 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 21 211 212 7.9% 63. 74.7% 72.8% 81.3% 76.5% Women International comparison: seatbelt wearing rate in the front of cars 8.9% 78.9% Men 25 26 27 28 29 21 211 212 84.5% 8.3% 88.6% 83. 87.6% 85.3% 1 8 6 4 2 98.5% 98. 97. 96. 96. 95. 94. 94. 93.5% 92. 91. 91. 9. 9. 88. 88. 87. 86.4% 86. 85.1% 85. 84. 75. 48. France Germany Netherlands Sweden Czech Republic United Kingdom Norway Ireland Slovenia Denmark Finland Austria Estonia Spain Switzerland Poland Hungary Belgium Latvia Cyprus Bulgaria Slovakia Greece Romania 21
18 Child restraint systems Child vehicle passengers who measure less than 135 cm must travel in suitable restraint devices. As he/she grows, the child will successively travel in a baby seat back to the road, a seat facing the road and a booster seat. As well as selecting the appropriate device, it is also important to use the device correctly. Examples of misuse include seats incorrectly fitted to the vehicle or in the wrong position, an airbag which has not been deactivated in front of a seat with its back to the road, or straps which are not tight enough or not placed at the right place. 18.1 Rate of use of child restraint systems by region (211) Brussels Flanders Wallonia Belgium 18.2 Correct without misuse Correct with misuse Incorrect without misuse Incorrect with misuse Not fastened at all 52% 48% 55% 52% Rate of use of child restraint systems according to whether the driver is wearing their seatbelt (211) 15% 19% 31% 24% 13% 5% 11% 6% 9% 3% 8% 5% 15% 11% 8% 1 2 4 6 8 1 Correct without misuse Correct with misuse Incorrect without misuse Incorrect with misuse Not fastened at all Driver not wearing her/his seatbelt 32% 23% 6% 9% 31% Driver wearing her/his seatbelt 54% 25% 1 5% 7% 18.3 2 4 6 8 1 Rate of use of child restraint systems by age of the child (211) Correct without misuse Correct with misuse Incorrect without misuse Incorrect with misuse Not fastened at all 1 5% 5% 3% 13% 7% 11% 11% 12% 1 13% 11% 8% 2% 27% 24% 8 9% 2 22% 1 17% 11% 1 21% 12% 6 26% 31% 31% 18% 9% 34% 4 75% 6 62% 66% 29% 2 43% 46% 36% 45% 24% 56% 63% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 Child age 22
19.1 Rate of use of hand held mobile phone by type of vehicle 19 Use of mobile phone while driving Using a telephone at the wheel with or without handsfree kit is a key cause of distraction. Talking on the telephone causes cognitive, auditory and, without hands-free kit, physical distraction. Handling one s telephone to write a SMS or consult an application also generates visual distraction. Using one s telephone at the wheel without hands-free kit is banned in Belgium. The rate of use of mobile phones has been determined by observing drivers from the side of the road. It represents the percentage of drivers engaged in this distracting behaviour, at a given time in Belgium. This rate must not be confused with the percentage of people who do sometimes make a call while at the wheel, which is much higher. 7% 6% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 19.2 Rate of use of hand held mobile phone by gender 4% 3% 2% 1% 19.3 1,1% 1,6% 2,1% 3,5% 1,5% 4,8%,6% Cars Vans Lorries Buses / Coaches 1,4%,8% 1,3%,8% 2,2% 1,6% 1,6% 1,5% Men Women All vehicles Rate of use of hand held mobile phone by type of road Men Cars Women Mobile phone handling Mobile phone at the ear Mobile phone handling Mobile phone at the ear 7% 6% 5% 3,6% 4% 3% 2% 1%,6%,7% 1, 1,2% 3 km/h roads 5 km/h roads 1,2% 2, 7 km/h roads,9% 2,7% 3, 9 km/h roads Motorways Mobile phone handling Mobile phone at the ear 23
2 Road infrastructure The state of the road network and safety infrastructures is an important aspect of road safety. However, it is very difficult to obtain centralized information on the state of the road network because the vast majority of the network is made up of communal roads, managed locally. In Belgium, the road network has seen few new developments since the 9s compared with previous periods. However, investment and maintenance costs are high. In terms of length, communal roads account for the very large majority of roads in the country. Motorways only account for just over 1% of road length but for a much greater volume of traffic. To show all types of road, in figure 2.1, we are using a logarithmic y-scale in which each graduation represents a difference of a factor of 1. 2.1 Change in length of the road network by type of road Number of kilometres of road 2.2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 82,19 11,621 13,8 14,475 13,899 13,943 488 11,258 124,1 131,52 138,869 1,251 1,666 1,72 1,763 197 198 199 2 21 Motorways Regional and provincial roads Communal roads Change in expenditure on investment and maintenance of the road network 18 Investment or maintenance costs 16 14 12 1 8 6 4 2 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Investments Maintenance 24
21.1 Change in the total number of offences recorded by the police and the number of speed-related offences 5 All driving offences Speed-related offences recorded 21Offences by the police Criminal policy seeks to dissuade road users from breaching the traffic laws. The number of recorded offences not only depends on the number of actual offences, but also on the resources allocated by the police and the technical feasibility of detecting an offence. The statistics shown on this page concern offences recorded by the federal police and local police zones which have led to immediate perception or a report. Therefore, other types of offence, such as for example, municipal administrative sanctions, are not included. Most recorded offences are due to excessive speed. 4 3 2 1 21.2 27 28 29 21 211 212 213 Change in the number of offences recorded by type of offence (excluding speed) Alcohol Drugs Mobile phone Seatbelt / Child seats 14 12 1 8 6 4 2 27 28 29 21 211 212 213 25
22 Perceived risk of being checked The perceived risk of being checked is the likelihoods from the drivers perspective that their road behaviour will be checked. This subjective feeling not only depends on the actual number of checks, but also on the communication of these checks, their visibility and the way they are conducted. A high perceived risk is important to dissuade the drivers to commit road traffic offences. 22.1 Change in the perceived risk of being checked by type of offence Percentage of drivers who assess as (very) high the risk of being checked for.. 1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 48% 46% 3 33% 23 26 29 212 14% 17% 15% 18% 21% 8% 8% 7% 8% 8% 8% 6% Speed Seatbelt Alcohol Drugs 22.2 Perceived risk of being checked by region of residence (212) Belgium Brussels Flanders Wallonia 1 Percentage of drivers who assess as (very) high the risk of being checked for.. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 33% 15% 43% 15% 18% 3 11% 32% 7% 9% 6% 6% 6% 8% 6% Speed Seatbelt Alcohol Drugs 4% 26
sources 1. Road fatalities 1.1, 1.2: Federal public service Statistics Belgium 1.3: CARE database (DG Mobility and Transport), International Transport Forum, national sources and Eurostat via European Union For more information: Focant, N. (213). Statistical analysis of the road traffic accidents resulting in death or injury that were registered in Belgium in 212 - Summary. Brussels, Belgium: Belgian Road Safety Institute Knowledge Centre Road Safety 2. Road injuries 2.1: Federal public service Statistics Belgium 2.2: Federal public service Health, Food chain safety and Environment, BRSI and Free University Brussels (VUB) For more information: Nuyttens, N. & Van Belleghem G. (214) How severe are the injuries of victims of road traffic accidents. Analysis of the MAIS severity scale for injuries suffered by victims of road traffic accidents hospitalized in Belgian hospitals between 24 and 211 Summary. Brussels, Belgium: Belgian Road Safety Institute Knowledge Centre Road Safety & Free University Brussels Interuniversity Centre for Health Economics Research 3. Types of injury 3.1, 3,2: Federal public service Health, Food chain safety and Environment, BRSI and Free University Brussels (VUB) For more information: Nuyttens, N. & Van Belleghem G. (214) How severe are the injuries of victims of road traffic accidents. Analysis of the MAIS severity scale for injuries suffered by victims of road traffic accidents hospitalized in Belgian hospitals between 24 and 211 Summary. Brussels, Belgium: Belgian Road Safety Institute Knowledge Centre Road Safety & Free University Brussels Interuniversity Centre for Health Economics Research 27
sources 4. Severity of accidents 4.1, 4.2, 4.3: Federal public service Statistics Belgium 5. Age and gender of victims 5.1, 5,2, 5.3: Federal public service Statistics Belgium 6. Mode of transport of victims 6.1, 6.2: Federal public service Statistics Belgium 6.3: BELDAM, Federal public service Statistics Belgium, BRSI For more information: Martensen, H. (214) @Risk. Analysis of the risk of serious or fatal injuries in traffic according to age and mode of transport - Summary. Brussels, Belgium: Belgian Road Safety Institute Knowledge Centre Road Safety 7. Material accidents 7.1, 7.2: Assuralia 8. Volume of motor vehicle traffic 8.1, 8.2: Federal public service Mobility and Transport 8.3: International Transport Forum, Eurostat via European Union 9. Volume of non-motor vehicle traffic 9.1, 9.2, 9.3: BELDAM 1. Age and gender of car drivers 1.1, 1.2: BRSI 11. Vehicle fleet 11.1, 11.2: Federal public service Statistics Belgium 11.3: Eurostat 28
sources 12. Vehicle inspection 12.1, 12.2, 12.3: GOCA 13. Possession of driving licence 13.1: Federal public service Mobility and Transport 13.2, 13.3: BELDAM 14. Driving tests 14.1, 14.2, 14.3: GOCA 15. Speeds 15.1, 15.2, 15.3: BRSI For more information: Riguelle, F., & Roynard, M. (214). Do vans drive too fast? Results of the first speed survey of vans in Belgium - Summary. Brussels, Belgium : Belgian Road Safety Institute Knowledge Centre Road Safety Temmerman, P., & Roynard, M. (215). Motorcycle speed survey 214. Results of the first motorcycle speed survey in Belgium. Brussels, Belgium: Belgian Road Safety Institute Knowledge Centre Road Safety 16. Driving under the influence of alcohol 16.1, 16.2, 16.3: BRSI 17. Seatbelt wearing rate 17.1, 17.2: BRSI 17.3: IRTAD database, OCDE 18. 18. Child restraint systems 18.1, 18.2, 18.3: BRSI 19. Use of mobile phone while driving 19.1, 19.2, 19.3: BRSI 29
sources 2. Road infrastructure 2.1: Federal public service Mobility and Transport 2.2: International Transport Forum, OCDE 21. Offences recorded by the police 21.1, 21.2: Federal police/cgo/cgop/b Traffic 22. Perceived risk of being checked 22.1, 22.2: BRSI 3
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