THE IMPACT OF FUEL-SAVING MEASURES ON ROAD SAFETY IN FRANCE AND WESTERN EUROPE

Before the present crisis, the number of cars, the volume of traffic, and the length of the motorway network had been increasing at a very rapid pace in every European country. Speed limits had been introduced - mainly since 1972 - on the road network of a large number of countries, but were unknown on motorways, with the exception of a few northern countries. The energy crisis, in the latter part of 1973, compelled European countries to enact three different types of fuel-saving measures, namely, restriction on selling fuel or using cars (these measures have since been dropped almost everywhere); large fuel-price increases; and general speed limits on roads and motorways of all European countries. The level of these general speed limits has been recently raised in different countries, but general speed limits are still imposed on the road network of all European countries, and on motorways of all European countries with the exception of the German "autobahns". The impact of fuel-saving measures is discussed from four different points of view, namely the automobile market, traffic volume, fuel consumption and road accidents. In every European country, speed limits resulted in a sharp decrease in accident rate, especially for the lethal ones. This reduction seems to persist and speed limits on roads and motorways are certainly there to stay. Different attempts are currently being made to try to harmonize speed limits throughout Europe. (A) This paper was presented at the 1974 Symposium on "the Impact of Fuel Saving Laws on Road Safety," held in Pretoria, South Africa. The covering abstract for the symposium is IRRD abstract no. 213021. /TRRL/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00357391
• Corporate Authors:

  National Road Safety Council

  Private Bag, X147
  Pretoria 0001,   South Africa 
• Authors:
  • Gerondeau, C
• Publication Date: 1974-6-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Tables;
• Pagination: p. 5-11
• Serial:
  • ROBOT
  • Issue Number: 74
  • Publisher: SNELCO-PRO PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTANTS
  • ISSN: 0035-7391

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobile industry; Economics; Energy; Energy resources; Foreign; Fuel consumption; Networks; Roads; Safety; Speed limits; Traffic crashes; Traffic flow; Traffic volume
• Uncontrolled Terms: Energy crisis; Road networks
• Geographic Terms: Europe; France
• ITRD Terms: 255: Economics; 8034: Europe; 8036: France; 232: Fuel consumption; 1665: Safety; 624: Speed limit; 671: Traffic flow
• Subject Areas: Economics; Energy; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure; I96: Vehicle Operating Costs;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00125032
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 18 1975 12:00AM