Department for Traffic Safety is a part of the Sector for Strategy, Designing and Development.
Main tasks of the Department for Traffic Safety on state roads of the Republic of Serbia are the following:
- Definition of policy and strategy for the development of traffic safety on state roads on midterm basis and definition of annual activity plans;
- Active participation in implementing comprehensive professional analyses; realization of a part of project cycle connected with this area, primarily regarding Business Plan, implementation of tender procedure and financial monitoring of technical documentation, as well as the preparation of Terms of References and monitoring during project implementation regarding designs for upgrading dangerous locations and risky sections, traffic signage and equipment designs, designs for temporary traffic regulation during road works and all types of traffic studies, traffic analyses and designs in the field of traffic safety;
- Regular follow up and directing of all activities in reference to traffic safety on the entire network of IA, IB and II category state roads; reporting to authorities both on current situation in traffic safety based on the development of traffic safety indicators and on concrete actions of PE “Roads of Serbia” that should be taken in order to improve traffic safety on roads. The Department coordinates its work with relevant institutions in the field of traffic safety (Ministry of Infrastructure, Ministry of Interior, etc.);
- Active cooperation with departments in the Sector for Investments and Sector for Road Maintenance of I and II Category Public Roads in solving all professional issues. In cooperation with these sectors, realization of various measures and activities that impact traffic safety is monitored. By respecting synergy principle in cooperation with the other departments, monitoring of technical solutions for traffic regulation during the execution of road works is performed, and cooperation with supervisors in reference to traffic signage changes on different bases is established.
- Writing of technical instruction
Department actively follows all innovations and achievements in the field of traffic safety, participates in professional meetings and seminars as well as in different committees (harmonization of technical standards in this field) and tracks novelties on the market of materials used for this purpose.
TRAFFIC SAFETY POLICY
Basis of the Traffic Safety Policy 
on the roads in the Public Enterprise “Roads of Serbia” is as follows:
- Strategic orientation of the Republic of Serbia in road transport sector towards the increase of the level of traffic safety on roads;
- Public Enterprise should manage the upgrade of traffic safety on state roads in accordance with development policy and objectives of the Republic of Serbia.
This Policy will be implemented through midterm and long-term activity and development plan and annual Business Plan of the PE “Roads of Serbia”. Road Traffic Safety Policy is harmonized with the Maintenance and Environment Protection Policies.
MAIN INDICATORS OF SAFETY ON STATE ROADS
In the period from 2001 to 2009, the number of fatalities on public roads ranged up to 1,300. In 2010, after the adoption of the new Law on Traffic Safety on Roads, there was a significant decrease of the number of fatalities, which was the lowest in 2010 since the situation of road traffic safety had been statistically monitored, namely 660 persons were killed. In the period from 2013 to 2016, there was a dominant reduction of the number of fatalities in traffic accidents compared to the baseline year 2010, however it was without equal decreasing trend of the fatalities in traffic accidents.
Table 1. Overview of the number of traffic accidents and fatalities in the period 2001-2017.
Existing statistical researches can hardly give precise separation and ranking of the degree of impact of road on the process of traffic accident occurrence, due to the complexity and interactions of all factors.
Pic. 1. Number of fatalities in traffic accidents in the period from 2001-2017
Traffic safety situation on public roads in the Republic of Serbia was 8.4 fatalities/100,000 residents (2015), according to the size of public risk (annual number of fatalities per 100,000 residents).
General situation regarding traffic safety in the Republic of Serbia can be explained with traditional neglect of traffic safety in the previous period, both politically and socially and in respect of legislation and finance.
TRAFFIC SAFETY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Main traffic safety development programs on state roads are the following:
- Program for risky sections;
- Program for black spot management;
- Program for road assessment – iRAP.
Strategic study “Risk mapping on I category state road network” is also done.
EU developed countries recognize traffic safety as one of key fields in transport policies, where black spots management is one of priority actions. For road managers in the EU, black spot management programs represent the most efficient approach with direct impact on the decrease of the number of fatalities on roads.
Black Spot Management Program is a procedure for detecting locations of extremely increased danger in traffic and for the definition of measures for remedying that location.
Due to the lack of official national methodology for defining dangerous locations – “black spots” on I A, I B and II category state roads, current foundation for activities is presented by recommendations and guidelines of Swedish experts prepared under the program of cooperation between PERS and Swedish Road Administration (Twinning Agreement).
“Study on methodology for identification and management of dangerous locations (black spots) on state roads of the Republic of Serbia” (Faculty of Traffic and Transport Engineering, Belgrade University) was realized as well establishing methodological procedures for black spot identification, ranking and management for further activities.
This Department actively participates in EuroRap Srbija Project, realized within Automobile and Motorcycle Association of Serbia (AMSS).
Within the implementation of the Project for motorway construction on Corridor X, company “Koridori Srbije” and consultant Louis Berger SAS signed the consulting services contract for Technical Support for Traffic Safety where the PE “Roads of Serbia” and its Department for Traffic Safety are recognized as one of key stakeholders.
As a part of the projects financed by international financial institutions (WB, EIB, EBRD), the Department actively participates in the activities connected with road safety audits.
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