8/11/2005 - Road Safety: It Concerns Us All!

The Road Safety Institute “Panos Mylonas” held a meeting on the subject of “Road Safety: It concerns us all!” on Tuesday 8 November 2005 in the Conference Hall of the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

The Meeting was held under the auspices of:

• The Association of Car Importers Representatives
• The University of Patras
• The Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) and specifically the MBA Inter-Department Post-Graduate Programme.
• INFOTE - INFORMATION FOR ALL SA

Supporters of the Meeting were INFOTE, ELMA AEBEA, SOL S.A. "Certified Public Accountants - Auditors and ASHLEY & HOLMES.

The President of the Institute Mrs, Vaso Danelli-Mylona presented the Institute and its aims and the Minister of Transport and Communication Michalis Liappis, Georgios Stavropoulos, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Patras, Georgios Panigyrakis, the Head of the MBA Inter-Department Post-Graduate programme of the Economc University of Athens, the Assistant Commissioner of the Traffic Police of Athens, Stefanos Tzivaras, professor Evangelos Matsoukis, President of the Road Federation of Greece, the President of the Committe for the Prevention of Accidents and the Vice-President of EKAV, Nik. Papaevstathiou and the final year student of Medical School of the University of Patras Miltos Papalexandris as representative of the friends of Panos Mylonas greeted the meeting. Present too as representative of the New Democracy Party the Member of Parliament for Etoloakarnania Marios Salmas, representative for the Department of Transport and the Environment the General Secretary of Public Works Georgios Tryfonidis.

Official guest and main speaker at the meeting was Dr. Joerg Beckmann, Executive Direction of the European Transport Safety Council) who spoke about: EU Road Safety Policy Making – Who sets the agenda and how to set it better (Who decides on the framework and how this can be made more effective).

The meeting was opened by the President of the Association of Car Importer Representatives (SEAA), Andreas Andrikopoulos, while among the speakers were: Aris Stathakis, journalist, Member of Parliament for New Democracy and President of the Committee for Road Safety for theTransport and Communication, Professor Yiannis Maniatis, Member of the Socialist Party (PASOK), former General Secretary General of the Ministry of Transport and Communication, Georgios Kanellaidis, professor of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Maria Vaniotou, Civil Engineer and Doctor of Transport Science and Head of the D3 Department of the General Secretariat of Public Works of the Ministry of the Environment, Kostas Spentzas, professor at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and Head of the Vehicle Laboratory, Chrysoula Baka, Head of Health Education and Environmental Education of the Ministry of Education and Religion, Panos Papadakos, Civil Engineer, Transport Scientist and President of the Association of Greek Transport Scientists. Pavlos Laskaris, CEO and Vice-Chairman of Renault, Evstathios Kamtzelis, Transport Manager of AGET IRAKLIS, Georgios Skourtis, President of the Committee for the Research, Prevention and Control of Road Accidents of the Union of Insurance Companies of Greece and Tasos Markouizos (Iaveris), a racing car driver.

Within the framework of its 1^st Meeting, the Institute announced the gift of a Suggested Sign showing the Speed of Oncoming Vehicles to be placed at a point indicated by the State Services responsible. The signs with changing messages compare the speed of an oncoming vehicle by radar and relay it to the final user so that he/she can adjust their speed accordingly. The Institute is donating the sign as, according to international experience and research that has been carried out, such a sign will contribute to the reduction of road accidents.

The President of the Institute announced the Institute of Road Safety (IOAS) Panos Mylonas’s intention to work with related institutions and individuals with the aim of bringing pressure to bear both in the private and public sectors so that Greece will no longer have such a shockingly high number of deaths from road accidents, where a human tragedy lies behind every number. The President pointed out that the Institute was formed with the aim of substantially preventing and reducing road accidents and expressed the conviction that real results would take place only after a concerted and continual effort on the part of the state, with the support of private initiative, which can be flexible and effective.

Then, the Minister Mr. Liappis in his greeting announced the formation of the Committee of Road Safety that would be legislated in the following weeks.

Aris Stathakis, as part of his speech, expressed his conviction that education on matters relating to road training, particularly for young children, is a top priority in the reduction of road accidents and also that private initiative in such efforts is the most effective.

Yiannis Maniatis welcomed the foundation of the Institute which resulted from a tragic event.

Joerg Beckmann presented thinking on ways of preventing road accidents on a European level.

Giorgios Kanellaidis stated that the 1st Strategic Plan for the improvement of Road Safety in Greece 2000-2005 did not materialise and expressed the need for the 2nd Strategic Plan 2006-2010 that he was elaborating should be implimented and exploited to the full.

Taking part on the panel and in the discussion before the closure of the Meeting were the President of the Institute V. Danelli-Mylona, the CEO of INFOTE Dr. Ioannis Vasilaras, Professor Giorgios Panigyrakis, while the coordinator was the journalist Aris Kokkas, chief editor or AUTO Triti.

The Minister, distinguished speakers, as well as all those present expressed their support for the Institute’s future activities.

PRESS RELEASE

MEETING ON ROAD SAFETY:

organised by the INSTITUTE OF ROAD SAFETY ‘PANOS MYLONAS’ under the auspices of the ASSOCIATION OF CAR IMPORTERS REPRESENTATIVES

The Road Safety Institute “Panos Mylonas” is organising, as part of the 6^th International Car Exhibition, a meeting on the subject:ROAD SAFETY: It concerns us all!

The main speaker will be Dr Joerg Beckmann CEO of the European Transport Safety Council – ETSC)

Distinguished Greek University lecturers and experts will present their views and experience on specialist topics that concern Road Safety, which will be presented in three main topic groups (man, road, vehicle).

The meeting is held under the auspices of the Association of Car Importers Representatives (SEAA). The University of Patras and the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) (MBA Inter-Department Post-Graduate Programme) and will take place in the Conference Hall of the Ministry of Transport and Communication (Anastaseos 2, Papagou) on Tuesday 3 November 2005 between 10.00 and 13.30.

The Minister of Transport and Communication will honour the meeting with his presence.

The commencement of the meeting will be declared by Andreas Andrikopoulos President of the Board of Directors of the Association of Car Importers Representatives (SEAA).

Entrance free of charge

Tel: 210 62 62 390, 6974-043 697

PROGRAMME OF EVENTS

10.00 Arrival-Registrations

10.30 Greetings

        Vasiliki Danelli-Mylona, President of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Road Safety Panos Mylonas

        Michalis Liappis, Minister of Transport and Communication

        Georgios Stavropoulos, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Patras

        Georgios Panigyrakis. Head of MBA Inter-Department Post-Graduate Programme of the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB)

         Nikolaos Dimitropoulos, Commissioner of the Traffic Police of Athens

         Nikolaos Papaevstathiou, Vice-President of EKAV, President of the Accident Prevention Team

          Evangelos Matsoukis, President of the Road Federation of Greece

11.00 Commencement

          Andreas Andrikopoulos, President of the Association of Car Importers Representatives (SEAA)

          Aris Stathakis, Journalist, Member of Parliament for New Democracy and President of the Committee of Road Safety of the Ministry of Transport and Communication.

          Yiannis Maniatis, Member of the Socialist Party (PASOK)

          DR Joerg Beckmann, Executive Director of the Εuropean Transport Safety Council): EU Road Safety Policy Making – Who sets the agenda and how to set it better

          Georgios Kanellaidis, Professor of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA): Elaboration of the strategic plan for the improvement of road safety in Greece 2006-2010

          Maria Vaniotou, Civil Engineer, Dr of Transport Science General Secretary of  Public Works of the Ministry of Public Works: What can truly contribute to the improvement in the level of road safety?

          Kostas Spentzas, Professor of the Metsovio Polytechnic, Head of the Vehicle Laboratory, The Deadly Sins of Greek Car Drivers

          Panos Papadakis, Civil Engineer, Transport Scientist and President of the Association of Greek Transport Scientists: Policies for speed management as part of a safer road environment

          Dr Maria Sotirakou-Chrysoula Baka, Department of Health Education and Environmental Education of the Ministry of Education and Religion: The importance of road education and training in fostering road safety

13.00 Break

13.30 Miltos Papalexandris, Representative of the friends of Panos Mylonas & Final year student at the Medical School of the University of Patras

            Pavlos Laskaris, CEO and Vice-President of Renault:The evolution of cars in Greece. Dangers and consequences

            Evstathios Kamtzelis, Head of Transport of AGET IRAKLIS: IRAKLIS’s Safe Driving Programme

           Georgios Skourtis, President of the Committee of Research, Prevention and Car Accident Control of the Union of Insurance Companies of Greece: The contribution insurance companies can make in reducing traffic accidents- human factors

            Dionysis Kalatzis, Special Assessor of Traffic Accidents: Electronic Re-enactment of a traffic accident

            Iaveris, Racing driver: Teaching human awareness

Conclusions-Discussion

Aris Kokkas, Chief Editor of the magazine Auto Triti, Members of the Board of Directors of the Road Safety Institute "Panos Mylonas" (Dr Ioannis Vasilaras, Vaso Danelli-Mylona, Professor Georgios Panigyrakis)

CONCLUSIONS

All those present welcomed the initiative of the foundation of the Institute and the first event and declared their support for the coming activities. In addition, most of the speakers expressed their conviction that the important contribution of private initiative to the matter in question, for which unfortunately Greece has a tragic record, is one of the most important, if not the only, action that can have a positive impact on the reduction of traffic victims.

The Minister of Transport and Communciation, Michalis Liappis, announced the formation of a ‘National Committee of Road Safety’, which would be legislated in the months following.

Aris Stathakis, while he accepted that it is difficult for young people to change their habits and attitudes, proposed the correct teaching of road behaviour at a young age. He also mentioned that according to his experience private initiative in this area is what is most likely to produce tangible results.

Yiannis Maniatis mentioned that he applauds the active participation of individual citizens in public matters, such as the foundation of the Institute Panos Mylonas, that there is considerable hypocrisy on the part of everybody, as the subject of road safety is only topical after a traffic accident involving many deaths and that in the last 4 years a great deal of progress has been made in Greece.

Jorg Beckmann: The creation of a specific policy is essential in order to achieve the goal of reducing traffic accidents and traffic victims. The means to achieve this goal are the following actions:

• The creation of a more specific and rigid legal framework that is applied throughout the EU.
• The involvement of car manufacturers in the development of supporting technological systems
• The heightening of awareness and the guidance of drivers so that they realise the power of speed
• Increase in the effectiveness of rescue methods, as well as the contribution of the health authorities in gathering data.
• The creation of smart systems of control of speed must be an aim of the global car manufacturing industry, also supported by the EU.
• Creation of systems that measure the progress and evolution of accidents on the road network

Georgios Kanellaidis: There is no question that positive steps have been made in Greece too, such as the mapping out of the 2^nd Strategic Plan for the improvement of road safety in Greece during the period 2006-2010, for the achievement of which a set of different plans of action in the relevant areas has been created, combined with specific proposals on subjects, institutional changes, communication, programming, monitoring and assessing of the implementation of the Plan.

Maria Vaniotou: The factors driver and high speed are obviously basic causes of accidents. However, the increase in safety on the road also has to do with the improvement of the road network. The need to create a National Programme of Research is a basic need, as is a Programme to inform the public. Among proposed solutions is the creation of an archive of roads with a complete list of its characteristics. This archive can be used to assess dangerous points.

Kostas Spentzas: Today’s cars are complex systems, which require training in order to handle them, but also require drivers with a conscience. In special cases, especially powerful cars can be driven with safety only by specially trained people and drivers with special abilities. Unfortunately, however, these cars can be acquired by anyone with the financial means to do so. Appropriate road training and education are basic priorities for the reduction of accidents. 

Dr Maria Sotirakou, Chrysoula Baka:The omission by the state to integrate Road Safety training into the general aims of education is a basic cause of the lamentable picture we have of the traffic system. Road safety training should not only be part of the school curriculum but should also be conducted by people who are specially trained for it to be effective.

Panos Papadakos: In most countries the elaboration of a policy and measures to deal with and control speed is basic in the endeavour to reduce road accidents and their consequences. Much research has shown that even small reductions in the speed of vehicles can lead to improved results. The actions and measures as a whole that have to do with speed management must concern the following areas:

• Road infrastructure with the creation of roads with user-friendly characteristics, reasonable speed limits and the use of variable speed limits
• Training in the use of the road and use of support systems
• Effective and systematic monitoring of road users
• Vehicles equipped with all the modern support systems necessary for the driver
• The establishment of policies of action that are part of an integrated policy of road safety

Pavlos Laskaris: The especially high ratio of vehicles per capita in urban centres in relation to the rest of Europe indicates a basic problem with cars in Greece: the high average age of cars and as a result cars that are less safe and less friendly to the environment. The plan to reduce accidents necessarily has to do with managing of the fleet of cars as a whole, both on a numerical (quantity) and qualitative (degree of evolution) level.

Evstathios Kamtzelis, Programme of Safe driving Iraklis: With safety as its priority AGET Iraklis began the Programme of Safe Driving, which has to do directly with individual driving behaviour and is based on four axes:

• Training and communication
• Meticulous reinforcement and dissemination of policies and procedures that define the framework of transport
• The creation of control and inspection practices for all areas of transport
• Strict and coordinated selection and training of drivers

Georgios Skourtis: Man is the principal cause of accidents and the correct training from an early age is of the utmost importance. Political will and coordination by the Ministries responsible and the control of the implementation of measures by the Prime Minister can produce results. Indicative measures: The use of alcohol tests, improvement in road surfaces, identifying uninsured vehicles, the creation of road safety parks, the training of traffic police, the heightening of awareness among citizens.

Dionysis Kalatzis: The meticulous examination of traffic accidents is essential in order to understand the conditions under which accidents take place and the subsequent approach to similar events.

Iaveris: It is time we realised that accidents and by extension the ignorance of danger that the vast majority of us have is the major problem in our society. It is time to realise the full extent of the consequence of an accident, before it happens to us. It is time to learn.