Road safety in Austria is the joint responsibility of different policy-makers. At the heart of the road safety work is the Road Safety Programme (RSP), initially enacted in 2002.

Since 2010, the Austrian Road Safety Fund has issued annual, theme-based calls for tenders. The themes are determined by bmvit in coordination with the goals of the RSP and current accident statistics developments. Two tender invitations were issued in 2011; the first dealt with the theme: “Safe · Electric · Mobile” and the second focused on the theme: “Distraction & Fatigue”.

The newly created Annual Report 2011 was published in September 2012.

The Austrian Federal Government, in particular the Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology (bmvit) as the main government body responsible for road safety, have set themselves the target of making Austria's roads among the safest in the European Union (EU).

Significant progress has already been achieved throught the first Austrian Road Safety Programme (2002-2010), but road safety figures for Austria are still only average for the EU as a whole, and even below average for the EU-15 countries. As a result, bmvit has worked in close cooperation with the members of the Austrian Road Safety Advisory Council's Roads Task Force to develop a new Road Safety Programme for the years 2011-2020.

Road safety in Austria is the joint responsibility of different policy-makers. At the heart of the road safety work is the Road Safety Programme (RSP), initially enacted in 2002. The newly created RSP 2011–2020 was published in February 2011.

The Austrian Road Safety Fund (VSF) is set up within the bmvit with the goal of boosting road safety in Austria. The funds available for this are drawn from the road safety contribution paid when reserving a personalised number plate. These finances are used to fund projects to improve road safety. The bmvit specifies the topics in coordination with the goals of the RSP and the current trends in accident statistics.

Road Safety and halving the number of fatalities in road transport (see also White Paper “European Transport Policy”) is seen as a common task of all stakeholders on various levels not only in Austria but also in the European Union.

Central to this road safety work is the Road Safety Programme that has been set up in 2002 and lasts until 2010. From September 2009 on the programme for the next decade (2011-2020) is being developed.

A crash at 50 km/h without child safety seat is equivalent to a free fall from a height of 10 meter. A collision at only 15 km/h without child safety seat can be fatal for children. Without a child safety seat, the risk of death is seven times higher than with a child safety seat that has been installed correctly.

The Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology presented the first Austrian Road Safety Programme in 2002 based on a scientific as well as interdisciplinary analysis by the Austrian Road Safety Board (KfV). The primary objective of this effort is the reduction of deaths and injuries to be achieved by effective implementation and financing of cost-effective safety measures, as well as securing political and social acceptance. This third edition of the programme represents the implementation status in 2009 and shows the challenges ahead till the end of 2010.

This folder briefs you on negative impacts on your fitness to drive and the higher health risk for other road users and yourself, when you drive drunken.

This folder discuss important questions about child restraint systems (child car seats). It informs you about the correct use of the seat belts for adults in combination with a child seat, the premature change in child restraint, the most common mistakes and the legal situation.

This folder discuss important road safety topics for motorcyclists. It informs you about

• the Austrian situation in the international context,
• safety begins in your mind,
• typical high-risk situations,
• high-quality safety gear.

This folder discusses the negative impacts of phoning with your mobile phone while you are driving a car. First it informs you about the most important disadvantages. Further you can find useful tips to avoid dangerous situations. At the end there is an information for employers and a quiz.

This folder informs you about accidents according to the road type, to the type of road users, to the age and gender and special characteristics. Further it shows you data on accidents in Austria since the 1960s. At the end you find out about the Austrian Road Safety Programme and the situation of Austria in the international context.