Day Event Explores Road Safety and Tourism Growth

The role of road safety and its connection to tourism growth was the central theme at a day event held last weekend at the Alkyon Resort Ηotel & Spa in Vrahati, near Corinth.

Organized by the Hellenic Association of Regionalists, the Peloponnese Tourism Organization and the Hellenic Organization for Standardization (ELOT), the event, titled “Road Safety and Tourism – Safe Trips in the Peloponnese”, focused on designing and implementing measures towards the upgrade of road safety on both regional and local levels, stressing the importance of facilitating road travel for tourists, as well as for seasonal workers.

Road and safety experts shared proposals on how to decrease the number of road accidents, which they say will make the Greek tourism product more competitive due to friendlier driving conditions, focusing particularly on the problem of high delinquency rates.

Findings reveal that in 2012, the number of deaths resulting from road accidents annually came to 1.3 million worldwide, 27,000 in Europe and 1,000 in Greece.

The reasons include aggressive driving by Greek motorists, high percentage of motorcyclists, low rates of seat belt and helmet use, increased DUI and cell phone usage incidents, lacking police patrols, poorly maintained road networks as well as inadequately signposted rural and remote roads.

The Hellenic Institute of Transportation Engineers is calling on the government in view of the current economic crisis in Greece to make it a priority to improve road networks, stressing that this will bring in investments, among other benefits, as well as to boost police presence.