“Prevention and punishment must go hand in hand”
The return to normal, which is gradually being confirmed in Luxembourg, puts the central issue of mobility and safety on the roads back on the table. The opportunity to take stock with Road Safety Luxembourg asbl.
Road safety
The return to normal, which is gradually being confirmed in Luxembourg, puts the central issue of mobility and safety on the roads back on the table. The opportunity to take stock with Road Safety Luxembourg asbl.
Many like to point out that Luxembourg is not an island. It is also more of a crossroads in terms of traffic in the Greater Region due to its geographical position. If the year 2020, synonymous with confinement and stopping to curb the phenomenon of accidents and interventions on the roads, the year 2021 was more prolific for theAutomobile Club Luxembourg, since its assistance center received no less than 148,000 calls, at the rate of 400 per day on average. In the end, 17,671 repair interventions for multiple causes were carried out.
The year 2022, bringing a full resumption of face-to-face work, will certainly lead to its share of accidents for drivers. Contacted on the matter, Paul Hammelmann, president of the Road safety Luxembourg asbl agrees: pedestrians, motorists, cyclists and motorcyclists will all have to be extra vigilant.
If he finds the Road safety action plan 2019-2023 continues with the gradual introduction of speed cameras in tunnels and at red lights, he regrets that the notion of prevention is less systematically attached to the word sanction. “Prevention and punishment must go hand in hand. This is indeed, according to him, the most effective way to obtain satisfactory results for everyone’s safety. He also asserts that following the example of Switzerland would be a good idea, since there, “no motorist can exceed the authorized speeds without being flashed and paying a big fine! “.
Thus, by way of comparison, if any speeding ticket sells for a fine of 145 euros in the Grand Duchy, the fines for speeding are variable in Switzerland, being able to go up to 250 euros. In addition, all excessive speeding automatically involves administrative measures, and is deemed necessary by a court. Something to make an impression… The results are also telling, Paul Hammelmann specifies that in the canton of Geneva (equivalent in terms of inhabitants and standard of living), “there is only a third of the number of accidents that we have in Luxembourg.”
Priorities to review for cyclists
Another point to take into account for the future: the cases of cyclists. The past two years have seen a number of bike purchases, with sales boosted by lockdowns… and government bonuses of 600 euros for the purchase of a bicycle to encourage soft mobility.
What has become a fad is leading to new behaviors that the President of Safety asbl disapproves of: “Too many cyclists put themselves in danger and also endanger others, ride in herds…”
We are going to plead for the helmet and especially for the obligation to wear a helmet when cycling. As a lawyer, I currently review a lot of cyclist accidents, and I assure you that it is not a pretty sight…
Paul Hammelmann, President of Road Safety Luxembourg asbl
However, he assures him, “the association has never pleaded for the obligation of the helmet until now, we were rather of the opinion that people should use something other than the car, but now, We are going to plead for the helmet and especially for the obligation to wear a helmet when cycling. As a lawyer, I am currently reviewing a lot of cyclist accidents, and I assure you that it is not a pretty sight…”
As for scooters, he is formal, “users must absolutely use the cycle paths! “.
The problem of electricity
Finally, even if it is a trend for the moment, “electric vehicles will increasingly take hold in the landscape and they do not get along. Or, we use our hearing a lot to locate ourselves in space. We will have to think about democratizing auditory biases so that these vehicles can be heard”.
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