EuroRAP inspects the condition of European roads for safety of movement on them. The organization assigns ratings to tens of thousands of kilometers of roads in Europe. These ratings can be compared by analogy with the stars that are assigned to cars in EuroNCAP. In essence, EuroRAP claims that the risk of death or serious injury can vary by tens of times on different roads in the same country.
Now EuroRAP has experience in analyzing Ukrainian roads as well. For example, roads M12, M17, and M18 of state importance, as well as international transit routes, were analyzed. The inspection was carried out in a car equipped for panoramic high-resolution video recording and GPS positioning.
The results of the star rating for Ukraine are predictable. A third of the roads are rated less than 3 stars for drivers and passengers of vehicles, 9 out of 10 sections are rated less than 3 stars for pedestrians, and half of the sections are rated as 3-star for cyclists. Overall, our roads pull a 2+.
Specialists identified the presence of signs leading to fatalities and serious injuries: deficiencies in frontal protection, intersections where hard right-side side impacts are possible, insufficient removal of trees from the road. Europeans are especially struck by single-level interchanges and pedestrian crossings on high-speed highways with speed limits of 90 km/h and above.
Experts claim that with an investment of 37 million dollars, it is possible to prevent more than 2500 fatal and serious accidents in the future, with a prospect of at least 20 years.
