Are Europe’s Roads Getting More Deadly?

For fleet managers in Europe, as elsewhere, the easy gains in safety performance are over

By Mark Boada, Senior Editor

While Europe’s roads remain among the world’s safest, the latest figures show that the European Union’s goal of cutting traffic fatalities in half by 2020 is at risk of slipping away. Worse, the underlying causes indicate that, as in the United States, traffic fatalities and accidents may be poised for a dramatic increase.

In 2011, the 28-nation European Union, in concert with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, formally adopted the goal of halving the E.U.’s motor vehicle deaths from 31,500 in 2010 to just 15,750 by the end of the decade. Considering that fatalities had been reduced at nearly that rate over the prior 10 years, the goal seemed reachable.

From 54,900 in 2001, over the first decade of the 21^st century, E.U. road fatalities declined by 43%, an average of 5.4% year. A number of factors contributed to the trend, including advances in road design and repair, traffic enforcement and automotive safety technology. But it’s apparent now that another factor made a healthy contribution: fewer people on the road due a slower economy.

ARI Highlights the Trends Impacting the Vehicle Life Cycle from Start to Finish in its 2017 Industry Outlook Publication

ARI^® announced today the publication of its 2017 Industry Outlook.

Unique to this year’s publication, ARI’s subject matter experts examined each step in the vehicle life cycle process to determine where the most significant trends will impact fleet professionals’ business operations in the next twelve to eighteen months. Advanced technology applications, data analytics and data integration impact every topic discussed in this year’s publication.

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Erin Gilchrist: Work-Life Balance Begins with You

Besides being a fleet professional, Erin Gilchrist is also a mom, an athlete, an active member of Women in Fleet Management (WiFM) and her own person. And she knows a lot about maintaining a positive work-life balance.

Robert Leale: The #1 Solution to Vehicle Hacking

There are a variety of rather scary vehicle hacks that exist today: from moving the steering wheel, to cutting the engine, to disabling headlights. Here’s one expert’s recommended #1 solution to stop vehicle hacking.