A EuroRAP survey is to play a key role in the upgrade of provincial roads in the Dutch province of Friesland.
A €30 million scheme of works has just been approved by the regional government for selected sections of Friesland’s 800km of provincial roads. The coalition government made road safety a priority in its four year programme.
In 2013, the entire Dutch provincial road network was surveyed using EuroRAP methodology and the findings offered to the relevant road authority in 2014. In Friesland 60% of the roads scored 2-star and 7% scored only 1-star with 70 problem routes and crossings defined. The survey was undertaken by the Dutch motoring club ANWB.
It was calculated that all provincial roads in Friesland could be upgraded to a 3-star level if €90m was invested over 20 years. If the investment was completed in full, 679 fatalities and serious injuries could be prevented with overall financial savings of €219m.
EuroRAP chairman and Director of Public Affairs for ANWB, Ferry Smith, said: ‘I would like to congratulate the province of Friesland for putting road safety high on their priority list. EuroRAP is an important tool to help road authorities and ANWB is pleased to have been able to contribute to EuroRAP research.’