Hungary workshop – 5 November 2024
The first workshop of the second phase of the EU Road Safety Exchange (EURSE) project took place in Budapest, Hungary on November 5, 2024.
Organised together with the Hungarian Ministry of Interior and held under Hungary’s EU Presidency, the event brought together national road safety experts from the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Transport, Hungarian Police, and other relevant authorities.
Hungary’s EURSE project partners, Ireland and Austria, participated in the workshop, sharing their good practices and experiences.
The workshop served as an opportunity for key stakeholders to discuss and exchange strategies for improving road safety across the EU, specifically in driver training and speed management.
The event began with welcome remarks from János Kerékgyártó, Deputy State Secretary for Transport at the Ministry of Building & Transport, followed by Theodora Calinescu (ETSC) who introduced the EURSE project to the broader audience.
Marian Lambe and Michael Rowland from the Road Safety Authority Ireland followed up on a study visit held last December in Dublin, focusing on driver training and the Irish learner driver model. Their presentation specifically explored the graduated driving license framework in Ireland, providing insights into its regulation, development, and the challenges Ireland faces.
Hungary presented its driver training system, including proposed changes to accompanied driving for learner drivers, inspired by lessons shared in Dublin. Participants discussed ensuring that young drivers gain key road safety knowledge and continue to drive safely once they get on the roads independently.
Austrian experts Alexander Nowotny from the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) and Christopher Simon from Federal Ministry of the Interior (BM.I) presented Austria’s approach to speed management and speed enforcement.
Speeding, the leading factor for road crashes in the EU and in Hungary, as presented in Gábor Pauer’s (KTI Mobility Research Centre) overview of Hungary’s road safety situation, is one of the key topics Hungary is addressing in the EURSE project, with a study visit to Austria planned for spring 2025.
Austria’s recent amendments to traffic laws, including stricter fines and car confiscation for severe speeding violations, prompted engaging discussions among participants.
Pol. Lieutenant Colonel Ferenc Szabó from the National Police Headquarters shared Hungary’s work on speed and recent advancements in automated speed enforcement.
Austrian experts shared their experience with speed enforcement, presenting the technology they use to address speeding, with the overall goal of encouraging safer driving behaviour and adherence to speed limits.
Eight more EURSE workshops are scheduled until 2025 in each participating country, where road safety experts and colleagues from partner countries will continue to work on the key topics identified and already addressed in the EURSE project.
