The Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic

Security and prevention

Road Traffic Safety

The Security Policy Department has been paying an increased attention to the safety and smoothness of the road traffic since 2004 when the National Road Safety Strategy was adopted by the Government resolution No. 394 of 28 April 2004. The strategy was drafted under the lead of the Ministry of Transport with contribution of other authorities and parties concerned. By means of this document the Czech Republic rallied to the European Commission's ambitious objective to gradually decrease the number of deaths on the roads by 50% by 2010 compared to the year 2000 (in 2000 more than 40 000 people died in road accidents within the EU).

Every year The Security Policy Department works out and evaluates the fulfilment of tasks in the Ministerial Road Traffic Safety and Smoothness Action Plan (RAP). The basic goal of the proposed measures is to reduce the number of persons killed or heavily injured in traffic accidents as well as to reduce the overall number of traffic accidents. The RAP can be accessed through the Ministry of Interior web site under the heading „documents“.

The Ministerial Action Plan for 2006 concentrates primarily on intensive supervision of road safety - in particular on speed limit compliance, use of restraint systems, compliance with the rules by pedestrians or driving under the influence of alcohol. The RAP deals also with questions of law enforcement. Raising public awareness and interest of lower administrative entities and non-state parties in the road safety and prevention are among the important objectives as well. Special emphasis is given to the identification and removal of high-accident areas and meeting of the preventive educational activities with supervision. Another important objective is to improve the level of material and technical equipment as well as staffing of the Czech Police so that it can fulfil its tasks in the area of supervision and prevention. The Ministry of Interior collaborates with the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Informatics on the implementation of the project of Joint Traffic Information System for the Czech Republic (JSDI). The project was agreed by the Government resolution No. 590 of 2005. The Security Policy Department coordinates the activities of departments of the Ministry of the Interior and the Czech Police involved in this project. The objective of JSDI is to consolidate the currently fragmented traffic information and data and to concentrate them in a central data store that should be established in 2006 and run by the Czech Road and Highway Directorate.

The information on traffic accidents, closures and diversions, traffic flow, road reparations and maintenance, weather and wind conditions that can affect the use of the communication, disruptions in the road infrastructure etc. will be further checked and authorised by the operators of the National Traffic Information Centre that has been functioning since the end of 2005.

Traffic information will be available to all users, the media and other public and private parties that provide information services for road users. It is a public service so the basic information will be provided free of charge. The verified information will be ready to be shared within other information systems - e.g. Public Administration Web Gate (http://www.portal.gov.cz), information systems run by the Fire and Rescue Service, Police or other public administration bodies.