Jean Todt, president of FIA - Federation Internationale de l’Automobile – warned that only a more joined-up and innovative approach to improving Europe’s roads will work. The safety of all who travel on roads is at stake, said Todt, who helped guide the red Ferrari Formula One team to several championship titles. He is also the United Nations special envoy for road safety. Speaking at the congress’ opening ceremony, PIARC (World Road Association) president-elect Claude Van Rooten agreed with Todt, saying that new thinking on public-private initiatives are needed.
Rooten said that one of the congress’ objectives was to explore ways to ensure that authorities, designers and contractors cooperate to make optimal use of public resources and obtain value for money. Practical solutions will be needed to achieve the ambitious target of a 50% cut in road fatalities. The event’s 500 delegates were presented with a series of papers on adapting Europe’s current road infrastructure to the way in which “technological changes and innovations in vehicle technology, road usage and road infrastructure [will change] the road of the future”.
The region need to “examine the challenges posed by road automation for the road infrastructure sector and the role of roads in the future European socio-economic model” Rooten concluded.
Rooten said that one of the congress’ objectives was to explore ways to ensure that authorities, designers and contractors cooperate to make optimal use of public resources and obtain value for money. Practical solutions will be needed to achieve the ambitious target of a 50% cut in road fatalities. The event’s 500 delegates were presented with a series of papers on adapting Europe’s current road infrastructure to the way in which “technological changes and innovations in vehicle technology, road usage and road infrastructure [will change] the road of the future”.
The region need to “examine the challenges posed by road automation for the road infrastructure sector and the role of roads in the future European socio-economic model” Rooten concluded.
