Benefits for Signatories

The European Road Safety Charter offers European recognition to all entities that sign commitments, and makes the road safety actions they wish to carry out more visible on a European level.

Signatories’ commitments and experiences in action are made accessible to the public via the Charter Website so that others may be inspired to carry out similar, or even innovative, actions.

From the moment they sign, Charter signatories are considered to be road safety role models and are authorised to use the European Road Safety Charter label, regularly receive a newsletter and are eligible to win a European Road Safety Charter Award. The Awards will be presented annually at a special ceremony in Brussels.

There are multiple advantages to signing a commitment to the European Road Safety Charter. Traffic accidents and injuries are preventable if decisive action is taken. By signing a commitment, participants can positively influence one or more of the following vital road safety issues that form a backbone to an integrated approach to road safety:

• Vehicle Safety: Innovation, safety devices, vehicle regulation policies.
• Infrastructure Safety: Safer road infrastructures, road safety impact assessment.
• User behaviour: Increased understanding, improved skills, strengthened attitudes.

Signatories also have the peace of mind that they are actively contributing to reducing the number of accidents on the roads in the following fundamental ways:

• A reduction in the number of accidents.
• A reduction in damage to the environment through road safety action.
• A reduction in the cost of material damage (cars or roads).
• A reduction in loss of time due to road injuries.
• An improvement in public health through road safety action (e.g. reduction in drink driving).
• An increase in public attention to risk (e.g. road safety education).
• An increased sense of responsibility through training (e.g. campaign against uninsured drivers).
• Enhanced corporate social responsibility.

Road safety is considered one of the key issues of Corporate Social Responsibility in companies today. CSR encompasses important corporate issues such as occupational safety and health. As 60% of fatal work accidents are road accidents, drastically reducing this figure is a primary concern for employers and employees in every industry, and every nation.