The Strategic Road Safety Plan will try to get close to the goal of “zero deaths on our roads”

The Mobility Observatory will be responsible for fostering the "participation" of all government bodies and social agents to try and reach a "consensus" of opinion

The Interior Minister, Rodolfo Ares, declared that the 2010-2014 Strategic Road Safety Plan of the Basque Country will attempt to continue reducing the number of victims on our roads and to promote "sustainable mobility", because "every single death is a tragedy". In order to achieve this twofold objective, the Plan includes the creation of a Mobility Observatory, which will be responsible for "collecting information, statistics and seeking contributions" from the different governments involved in road safety in order to attain the maximum levels of "consensus". Moreover, the Plan intends to be "more ambitious" and to provide cultural changes in society in order to stop talking about "traffic" and begin to think about the concept of "mobility". The Director of the Traffic Department, Amparo Lopez, pointed to the "new methodological approach" which is to be used in the promotion of this Plan. This must seek to reach the established goals based on "consensus" and the "participation" of all the agents involved. Lopez emphasised the need to "Educate, inform and increase awareness before resorting to fines".

The primary objective of the 2010-2014 Strategic Road Safety Plan of the Basque Country is to continue reducing the number of victims in road accidents. In order to meet this objective, the Interior Department called for inter- institutional participation and collaboration as well as the involvement of social agents, such as the associations of accident victims. The Interior Minister, Rodolfo Ares, pointed out that "We also want to invite all the groups involved to collaborate and comply with traffic regulations". One of the new features of this Plan is the Mobility Observatory, "an instrument that fosters the participation of many institutions and entities". Its aim is to collect information, statistics and to contribute towards improving the work of government administrations.

The Interior Minister, Rodolfo Ares, presented details of the 2010-2014 Strategic Road Safety Plan at a press conference held this morning in Bilbao. The Director of the Traffic Department, Amparo Lopez, was also present.

Among the measures included in the Plan to reduce the number of victims is the intention to "ensure the maximum compliance with" road safety regulations, increasing the promotion of drink-driving and anti drug campaigns, insisting on the use of seat belts and controlling the use of mobile phones. One of the new features to be put in force this year will be the possibility for penalised drivers to pay fines, as police officers will be provided with the technical means to collect payment "on the spot". The Director of the Traffic Department emphasised that first an attempt will be made to "educate, inform, train and increase awareness before resorting to fines".