Road Safety Audit at the Western Balkan Countries

Abstract

Road accidents are caused by a combination of factors although relationships between accidents and those factors causing them, or contributing to the causes, are not well understood. The interaction between road, vehicle and the road user obscures the determination of accident causes. In qualitative terms, it is a well-known fact that physical features of a road network, together with the traffic volumes on that network are the main explanatory factors of the mean number of accidents happening on that network. Western Balkan Countries (WBC) countries are among the “worst road safety performers in Europe” based on road fatalities per population. Even though that each country incorporated in to the law, strategy and target RSA and RSI of new projects and of the existing roads in reality not much is happening. The objective of this paper is the comprehensive presentation of the current road safety conditions from the design point of view in Western Balkan Countries in particular to the road network of Albania and Kosovo as these two countries are leading with the number of accidents with significant number of fatalities. As a case study was taken one section of recently constructed dual carriageway in Kosovo where were noticed significant omissions of design in relation to the road safety and some of the road sections in these two countries where design did not considered the safety subject.