Extensive campaign Cabildo de La Palma to eliminate their road mortality

With the motto 'In road safety PALM we get along'

The opinion of the citizens of the island will serve as a basis for development of a Strategic Road Safety Plan

Madrid, March 26 2003 and 1996 2000.- Among a total of 27 people were killed in traffic accident on the island of La Palma, with an average of 5 deaths per year. In each of the exercises in this period, the mortality figures show no significant variation. However, the Cabildo Insular de La Palma is convinced that it is possible to completely eliminate traffic accidents with fatalities on roads palms.

To do this, in the coming weeks it will launch a campaign that has as protagonists the 82.000 inhabitants of the island.

With the motto "In road safety, we get PALM", the initiative falls within the agreement between the Cabildo Insular de La Palma and the Spanish Road Association (AEC) for the development and implementation of a Strategic Security Plan vial in more than 500 kilometers that make up the road network of the Cabildo competition.

The Cabildo Insular de La Palma and the ACS are aware that the success of any road safety campaign depends largely on the degree of user involvement. Therefore, on this basis, both entities have wanted to load the inks on social considerations for the preparation of future Road Safety Plan.

Citizens have the word

The Strategic Road Safety Plan on the island of La Palma stands out above all by the attention given to the opinion of the inhabitants of this Canary Island. The suggestions, ideas and comments they are considered a fundamental part of the strategy, as long as offer Public Administration responsible for road management in the sure knowledge of the problems, demands and needs of those who use, of one or otherwise, roads.

In this sense, have made three separate surveys conducted in each case, to groups of adults, children between 7 and 11 12 years and young people to 16 years.

In the case of the adult population survey, the questions cover many aspects that make up the reality of traffic, from the car and the user until the infrastructure itself. An important chapter of this test is devoted to identifying the most dangerous sections of the road network of the island in the opinion of respondents, and their suggestions to increase security levels.

But the Cabildo Insular de La Palma is also interested in gathering information about the habits and general knowledge of the smallest in terms of road safety, and has therefore decided to involve them actively in the campaign. Schools in the island will be responsible for distributing between these future road users questionnaires in which, in addition, child and youth group may make requests to improve road safety, want to get to the island authorities .

On the other hand, and in parallel to these activities survey, the council plans to hold, on 15 and 16 May, a Technical Conference on Road Safety, with the participation of accredited Spanish and foreign experts.

The smallest will have fun learning

With the intention of promoting a culture of road safety among children, the campaign also includes a range of specific actions in all schools in La Palma.

On the one hand, the council will install three traffic parks in Santa Cruz, Los Llanos and the Northern Zone, where kids can learn the basic rules of traffic through fun and educational games. On the other hand, it has published a booklet of activities coordinated by a team of educators, to be distributed in all schools to supplement palm parks road safety. A variety of fun activities and drawings will delight little ones, allowing all-while they learn basics of road safety divierten-, such as major traffic signals, the right attitudes in the streets , cities, roads and inside vehicles, the safe use of bicycles, etc.

Technical analysis

The island of La Palma has 760 kilometers of roads, 516 of which are managed by the council. 1996 1999 of to the Provincial palm Corporation invested in construction and maintenance just over 21 million euros (about 3.500 million pesetas). In the latter year, the census fleet amounted to 48.317 units, with passenger cars 31.508, 4.202 9.365 trucks and vans.

Based on this information, and after a field that has been developing throughout the year 2002, has made an exhaustive technical study which analyzes in detail the road infrastructure competition Cabildo de la Palma.

Among the developed actions, include the identification and treatment of accident concentration Sections (TCA), the adaptation of the design of the crossings to optimal conditions of road safety and the development of an upgrade plan road equipment. The work of collecting and processing technical data has also ventured into the field of users, investigating the behavior of novice drivers and the influence of alcohol on driving, and the role of educators in schools when address issues related to road safety.