By Martin Banks - 18th February 2008
When it comes to crossing the street in Europe, an 'internal market' in safety does not apply.
That is the conclusion of a new survey which says that pedestrian crossings need to be made safer.
The survey of pedestrian crossings across Europe was carried out by Europe’s motoring and touring organisations.
It says that more can still be done to cut fatalities on pedestrian crossings, particularly as children and elderly people are still the main victims of such accidents, despite recent road safety improvements.
The study reveals that across Europe, travellers are not only faced with different national rules for pedestrian crossings but also variations in their rights and obligations when crossing the street.
In the face of this "myriad of rules" the study recommends a harmonisation of road traffic rules for drivers and pedestrian crossings in Europe.
It says that that Norway, Switzerland and Italy have the highest rates of fatalities occurring on pedestrian crossings.
In Spain and Great Britain, pedestrians account for the majority of road fatalities.
The study says that as most of these victims are killed outside of pedestrian crossings, using a pedestrian crossing is safer.
Caroline Ofoegbu of the FIA European bureau said, “No tourist travelling in Europe would ever think to find out about crossing the street outside of their own country.
“It’s not information that you would find in any guidebook.
“But this survey reveals that the rules everywhere in Europe about how, when and where you can cross the street are not the same.
“Pedestrian crossings are not the same and your chances of crossing safely using them vary significantly.”
The results published represent the first phase of a three-year study co-financed by the FIA foundation, which will develop a full assessment programme for examining the quality and safety of Europe’s pedestrian crossings.
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