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Do we need a Road Traffic Authority? The only main purpose would be road safety.
In Norway we do have a lot of authorities responsible for safety. Some are:
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The Petroleum Authority
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The Aviation Authority
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The Railroad Authority
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The Works Authority
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The Food Authority
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The Radiation Authority
The main purpose for these authorities is the safety of the people working within and depending of the different areas. The total number of killed and injured in all these areas are less than the killed and injured on the Norwegian roads every year. Why do we not have a Road Traffic Authority?
The technical developments in the cars opens for a number of possibilities toward a safer traffic. The key actor for the promotion and implementation of these developments could be the Road Traffic Authority.
Vehicles has been marketed in Norway with advertisements having a clear promotion towards unsafe driving on the roads.
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What would the Aviation authority do if airplanes were marketed with the words: "This plane gets hold of the pilots child"?
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What would the Railroad Authority do if trains were marketed with: "This is not a toy. In reality"?
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What would the Petroleum Authority do if a oil platform crane was marketed by: "Welcome
to the amusement park."?
Some of the responsible
actors have been
promoting unsafe driving
attitudes. This activity has been performed without any
authority seriously trying to stop this activity.
When Hans, 10 years ago, had to renew his driving licence, he was not tested of knowledge or driving competence.
His new licence had an expire date in 2040. In that year Hans will be 100 years old. During the years to come, Hans will have to get a doctors verification that he is suitable for driving. Nobody will check if Hans keeps his driving competence and know the new traffic roles and new traffic signs. Would a prudent, responsible Road Traffic Authority accept such a system?
An evaluation of all
Norwegian death accidents in 2006 revealed that in 75 % of the
accidents has limited driving competence been a part reason
for the accident. This is 3 out of 4 or not far from all
accidents! Why does not the Ministry take a new review of the
need for added competence before an age of 100 years?
7 tunnels closed for inspection and repair
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Further checks of other tunnels along the same major road results
in the closure of 7 tunnels for inspection and repair. |
In December 2006 the roof of a rather new tunnel on E18 in southern Norway fell down together with tons of stones. By chance nobody were killed or damaged.
The tunnel roof had not been secured good enough, some few years ago, when the tunnel was built and opened for traffic.
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Who is responsible for stopping of the promotion of unsafe driving attitudes? Do we have a connection between the number of injuries and the promotion for unsafe driving as indicated on the diagram below? BMW, the inventor of "joy of driving", has been actively promoting unsafe driving on Norwegian roads.
The Road Traffic Authority can not avoid the individual accident. All travellers on the roads will still have influence. The Authority having focus on road safety, however, will act as a watchdog towards all activities reducing the safety. The positive work towards a careful driving, safe roads and safe vehicles will have first priority.
To safeguard a first priority on safety, the Road Traffic Authority should be organized independent of the Ministry of Transport.
From the
Norwegian government web page,
www.Regjeringen.no
the following information was given: (30.11.2007):
A public committee for
the evaluation of Road Authority has been
established. The aim for the planned Authority is
limited to the road system.
This mean that the planned
Road Authority will have no authority related to vehicles,
drivers and all the
others responsible for safe traffic.
European tunnels
The German car organization ADAC has performed a tunnel survey in Europe of in total 50 tunnels. They have been looking for video surveying, fire safety, lightening, evacuation possibilities and the road surface. Three of the 5 Norwegian tunnels got the lowest possible mark. With other words, Norway has possibilities for improvements!
Conclusion
The conclusion is that we need a single authority
responsible for the total safety on the roads, including the roads,
the vehicles, the drivers and all actors having influence on the
road safety. The name of this authority may be The Road Traffic
Authority. This authority has to be independent of the Ministry of
Transport.
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