Road safety group wants 80km/h speed limit

(CS/jag/DS) Road safety association “Sécurité Routière” called for a reduction of the speed limit on country road to 80km/h on Tuesday, as MPs also proposed a number of additional measures on how to make Luxembourg's roads safer.

“Sécurité Routière” on Tuesday welcomed the “Vision Zéro” plan presented by Infrastructure Minister François Bausch earlier this year – a 28-step plant to halve the number of road accident victims by 2020. However, the group also said that the timeline to implement the measures was too long.

While penalties for road offences were just recently increased, the organisation also said that the government should have gone further. For example, for so-called life-threatening behaviour on the road, including speeding or drunk driving, countries like France foresee up to one year in prison, it suggested.

Additionally, the group said that speed limits on country roads should be lowered from 90 to 80km/h and more speed cameras should be added to the ones already planned. Currently, the installation of 20 fixed speed cameras and six mobile units is foreseen at accident hotspots around the country. The first should be operational before the end of 2015.

A more thorough analysis of accident sites and causes could help improve signage, the group suggested.

But other issues matter, too, Sécurité Routière pointed out, such as more police action on cars parking on pavements and bike lines, blocking them for vulnerable road users. Urgent action is also needed to ensure the safety of lorries rolling through Luxembourg, the group said.

MPs bring forward new suggestions

In parliament, MPs meanwhile also welcomed the “Vision Zéro” strategy, while at the same time a number of additional suggestions were made.

Marco Schank (CSV), for example, brought the topic of alcolocks, which do not let a driver start their car if they fail an in-built breathalyser test, back to the table, as well as suggestion that community service might be an alternative way to punish offenders.

David Wagner of déi Lénk meanwhile suggested that penalties should be linked to income, as is the case for example in Finland. The DP's Gusty Graas added that red light enforcement using radar technology should be rolled out, with a pilot project already foreseen by the government.

Gast Gibéryen of the ADR on the other hand said that more actual checks on the streets by police were needed to help bring the situation under control.

All speaker meanwhile agreed that driving tests should not only assess the capabilities of new drivers but also teach them sensible conduct on the road.