The main findings (summarised in a powerpoint presentation) of the Connecta study “Preparation of Road Safety Inspection and Audit Plans for the Core/Comprehensive Road Network in Western Balkans (WB6) and Pilots” are now available on the WBIF website.

This study was produced by Connecta (Technical Assistance to Connectivity in the Western Balkans) under the project "Technical Assistance to Connectivity in the Western Balkans", Europeaid/137850/IH/SER/MULTI.

EU Directive 2008/96/EC on road safety infrastructure management is implemented on the Trans-European Network in the European Union; it is also expected to be transposed in the Western Balkans on the remaining national networks as well. The beneficiaries should, as part of the accession process, transpose the relevant provisions of this directive. Many of the beneficiaries have confirmed their intent to improve the road networks in the coming years; therefore, it would make sense to implement road safety audits as soon as possible throughout the SEETO regional participants.

At a meeting in Ljubljana, on 25 April 2018, a “Road Safety Declaration” was endorsed by the Transport Ministers / representatives of the Western Balkans. The purpose of Connecta’s study was to prepare short-term plans (2018-2020) for road safety inspections and audits for the Core and Comprehensive Road Network in the Western Balkans and to deliver a part of these plans as pilots.

Specific objectives of the study included: 

• Preparation of three-year Road Safety Inspection (RSI) plans for the core and comprehensive network and pilot RSIs on high accident sections; 
• Assist beneficiaries in carrying out road safety audits in accordance with Directive 2008/96/EC on the core and comprehensive network and undertake sample audits; 
• Assist beneficiaries in establishing national systems for continuous road crash data collection (by 2018).