The third seminar of our Lunchtime seminar series spotlighted the EuroRAP programme in Slovenia. Jure Kostanjšek, Secretary-General of the Automobile and Motorcycle Association of Slovenia (AMZS) and Klemen Filipič, accredited iRAP engineer at AMZS, presented the EuroRAP programme in Slovenia: a success story 2008–2021 which attracted 72 registrations from 31 countries.

AMZS is an independent non-governmental organisation of road users, representing almost 83.000 members and offering assistance on the roads for more than 60 years. They are a mobility club and are active on all pillars of road safety and safe mobility: drivers, vehicles, infrastructure, legislation. Their safe mobility goals are 5-star drivers in 5-star cars on 5-star roads. AMZS’s active contribution as an auto-club to improve road safety in Slovenia is of vital importance which can be seen in different areas, most notably in the number of road deaths in the past 20 years. Between 2001 and 2008 the average number of road deaths in Slovenia was 261. This number dropped to an average of 119 between 2009 and 2021 (country of approximately 2 million people).

The big change happened between 2007 and 2009 with a range of different events. Jure pointed out two major car accidents with many cars involved and many casualties which brought also a lot of media attention; NGOs and public raised their voices and demanded the improvement of road safety; AMZS invested in a safe driving centre in Vransko; obligatory safe driving programmes for young drivers and legislation changes were introduced. Besides, the construction of the motorway system was finalized and the vignettes tolling system introduced. That encouraged more drivers to use the highways which according to the statistics are safer than the parallel regional roads. Motorways are the veins of modern mobility but even the safest roads may be improved, which was shown in a short video. Moreover, AMZS has been performing EuroRAP road assessment procedures continuously since 2008.

Slovenia together with AMZS is setting a very good example how road safety can be improved. More details about the Slovenian road safety success story from the award-winning RAP programme are available in the recording of the EuroRAP Lunchtime seminar #3 (see the Chapter markers for Introduction, presentation by Jure and Klemen on Slovenian road safety success story, Q&A). The PPT is available HERE.

Our next online seminar on 8th February 2022 at 1 pm CET will allow the sharing of information from all of the EuroRAP partners through a forum. Register HERE. We look forward to seeing you there.

EuroRAP’s Lunchtime seminar series provides information about the EuroRAP protocols through the ‘RAP basics’ online seminars, insight into iRAP research and innovation through our ‘Hot topic’ seminars, and inspiration for EuroRAP programmes through our ‘National schemes spotlight’ seminars. Along with a national schemes’ forum, these three seminar types will be presented in rotation giving us food for thought every month. The virtual seminar series is aimed at all EuroRAP partners and other interested parties – from automobile clubs to road authorities, to researchers.