This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Entrevista a Jacobo Díaz Pineda, director general de la Asociación Española de la Carretera

"The evolution of the road network in Spain has been spectacular"

Interview with Jacobo Díaz Pineda, director-general of the Spanish Road Association

Javier García15/10/2009

October 15, 2009

The Spanish Road Association (AEC) has reached 60, more than half a century to ensure the qualitative and quantitative development of road infrastructure in our country, with the security and respect for the environment as priorities. Thus explains it to Interempresas CEO, Jacobo Díaz Pineda.

Jacobo Díaz Pineda, general manager of the AEC.

Could it take stock of these sixty year history of the Association?

Since its founding 60 years ago, the AEC has sought to bring together interests which do not always coincide, trying to become a rostrum from which to seek solutions to the problems of the sector. The daily challenge posed by our associative formula is precisely to find a balance between the public and private sectors, and between the various areas surrounding the highway in order to promote the road phenomenon as essential for social progresseconomic, cultural and of all kinds in any community.

Check, 60 years later, that we have the support of more than 300 representatives of the national road sector and international leads us to think that, during this time, we have walked in the right direction.

"The network of high capacity roads exceeds today the 14,000 kilometers in length, which places us at the height of the top European countries"

The sector has evolved a lot since the foundation of ACS. Where has there been more notice?

It is clear that the evolution of our road network has been spectacular since the birth of the AEC in 1949. This progress has been noted in each of the variables involved in the road: building techniques, sizing of the available networks, level of technological development, systems of management traffic, road safety, public awareness, active and passive safety of vehicles, etc.

But, perhaps, one of the most important aspects is the progress experienced in the network of high capacity roads, whose length exceeds today the 14,000 kilometres, reaching the height of European countries in this regard. Nor should we forget the extraordinary reduction of deaths in road accident who is registering for five years, with rates above 40 per cent.

One of the activities of the Association is the development of research work. What kind of studies they perform? What outputs or real applications do?

The activities in our Technical Department try to adapt in the best possible way to the social and economic changes that are taking place. Currently, and in full debate on the definition of a new concept of road, performances by the AEC focus on fields such as the establishment of sustainable construction models, research oriented reducing emissions to the atmospherethe new technologies applied to the traffic management, urban mobility and the involvement of the user in the management of road, in addition, of course, new technical tools for road safety.

Could I cite some examples?

One of the recent work developed by the AEC with actual implementation has been the MEPP project. Developed between 2005 and 2007, this initiative is marked as a target design, start-up and pilot testing of an electronic device, installed in zebra crossings, had the ability to reduce situations of risk to pedestrians. This new system detects the passers-by who are preparing to cross through photoelectric sensors located at the ends of the steps. These sensors send the signal to a panel that lights up to alert drivers of the presence of pedestrians. The pilot test, carried out in a Seville town, noted that this device can reduce risk situations for users in up to 88%.

Another of the lines of action of the ACS with clear practical applications is the participation in working groups drafting specific legislation on various issues. The Association has participated in this sense in the drafting of standards so important for road safety as the of the reflective vests, speed reducer and barriers metallic safety for motorcyclists, among others.

&quote;In the road sector still haven't been able to transform the negative image and transmit it another dimension of the road that is compatible with the...

"In the road sector still haven't been able to transform the negative image and transmit it another dimension of the road that is compatible with the protection of the environment", says Díaz Pineda.

"The conservation, the maintenance in optimal conditions of our network is one of our biggest challenges"

What, in his view, the current challenges of the sector?

I think the most important is that of conservation. At a time in which has been having a mature network, with more than 14,000 kilometres of high capacity roads and a structure that has eluded the radio character, the challenge facing us is the maintenance in optimal conditions of that network.

Without proper conservation, it is difficult, if not impossible, to maintain a high quality of service in line with the European countries most advanced in this area.

Secondly, we must face the challenge of the environmental impact. In this area, progress is still huge: the use of recycled materials, techniques that reduce harmful emissions, the construction of more efficient vehicles and less energy… However, despite these advances, road transport continues to appear in public as primarily responsible for global pollution. And in the road sector not yet we have been able to transform the negative image and transmit it another dimension of the road that is compatible with the protection of the environment.

In this sense, surprised that virtually no one refers to the data provided by the European Environment Agency. According to this body, while a bus with its busy squares emits between 45 and 80 grams of CO₂ by pasajero-kilómetro, a high-speed train reaches up to 165 g and a flight of short duration can arrive at the 240 grams. These figures make exposed a dimension of the roads not well-known by the general public that they should give.

Road safety audits and assessments of impact on road safety have proved to be very useful, says the director-general of the ACS.

"In terms of security, our network expressways and highways is equal to countries such as Germany or France"

Are our roads safe enough?

In terms of security, the improvement experienced in recent years has been more than notable in the chapter of expressways and highways. So much so that today we can say that our network of high capacity is commensurate with countries such as Germany or France.

However, the conventional network is susceptible to many improvements. For example, to avoid accidents by Road exit, which they account for more than 30% of the total number of casualties. In this sense, you can identify sections of the road network with improved levels of containment (fixed obstacles, terraplenes…) but lacking adequate containment systems. For this reason, should incorporate the most innovative tools to ensure the safety of the roads in the phases of planning, design, construction and operation. Road safety audits and assessments of impact on road safety have proved to be very useful, and are already in place in many countries for several years.

Within this philosophy of work fall "roads to forgive", tracks whose design should minimize the consequences of accidents.

With regard to the guardrails on the roads, "the problem that lies behind the accident rate of motorcyclists is the large number of kilometers to be equipped with the new barriers". Photo: Juan Alberto Ramírez Diaz.

With regard to complaints from associations of bikers on the guardrails on our roads, what your opinion on this?

The problem that lies behind the accident rate of motorcyclists is the large number of kilometres of roads which would be equipped with the new barriers. Budgetary requirements are, therefore, very heavy, and this makes that the periods lengthen more than desired by the collective 'Biker'. But, in any event, it is a fact that the various administrations with road responsibilities have assumed the need to improve the safety of motorists, and working in the best of their ability to install the greater possible number of kilometres of safe protection barriers in their way.

How would AEC solve this problem?

The Spanish Road Association has actively participated in the working group to collaborate with the Administration with a view to the drafting of rules of safety barriers which are safer for motorcyclists. The Group was composed of representatives of the national road sector, and its conclusions were of great help in the drafting process of the current rule specified on protection systems for motorcycles.

Do you think about the prohibition to go to more than 80 km/h. in the Barcelona area? Do you think that it is effective? Why?

Measures like this sense they have access to very populated with very high rates of traffic cities, provided they are backed by rigorous and balanced technical studies. However, to improve traffic in densely populated areas not to be dismissed the latest technologies applied to transport based on the ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) systems, which offer many advantages and are not always based on the reduction of the speed of movement. We are more supporters of varying speeds depending on certain factors like the intensity of traffic, the lighting (night driving) or weather conditions.

"In recent years, deaths by accident have been reduced about 40%, which is a success without palliatives." "It is clear that the new driving licence has contributed to this"

And the card points?

This summer, from driving by points has completed its third anniversary. Reviewing the figures of accidents in recent years shows that accident deaths have dropped around 40%, which is a success without palliatives. It is clear that the new driving licence has contributed to this, but we can not fall into the trap of thinking that it has been the only cause that explains this reduction.

This change of trend has been the result of the sum of various factors. I am referring to aspects such as the reform of the criminal code on traffic and road safety, the increase in surveillance of our roads, the improvement of many contentious points of the network, the increase of citizen awareness in the field of road safetyas well as the qualitative leap which has experienced in recent years the active and passive safety of vehicles.

For safer roads

"The Spanish Road Association was convinced that the qualitative and quantitative development of road infrastructure has become a political and social priority, and it dedicates its efforts for more than half a century," explains Díaz Pineda. To achieve this, it uses a series of tools - studies and research, sectoral meetings, and participation in technical committees, among others-, which are intended to cover all aspects relating to roads.

Road safety is, without doubt, one of the most important. And in this area, says the director-general of AEC, many studies and professional forums promoted by the Association. The drafting of the Green Book of road safety, with 77 proposals that ratcheted up the Congress stands out among them.

Another work is the collaboration with public administrations or private entities for the development of specific road safety plans. In this regard, Díaz Pineda highlights the advice to the Inter-American Development Bank in the preparation of a plan of road safety for Latin America and Caribbean.

Design, planning, construction and conservation

"But road safety is not our only front of action", says. Aspects such as the financing of infrastructure, design, planning, construction, conservation and management of roads are other fields where SRA is present. Without forgetting, of course, environmental and technological issues in which the Association works continuously. "All this is guaranteed by the existence of a diverse and plural associative base with representatives of the sectors more vigorous national and international road world", says Díaz Pineda.

Despite the campaigns that warn about the subject, many citizens driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. What can be done in this regard?

It is clear that the pedagogy in the field of road safety is essential. But it is no less true that there is a percentage of drivers showing some relapse in incívicos behaviour at the wheel. We can say that they are a minority, but it is undeniable that they are extremely dangerous to other users of the roads. And it is here that special emphasis should be.

And what you can do in these cases?

In these cases of recidivism that corresponds is a hardening of sanctions associated with very serious offences such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The recent reform of the Criminal Code traffic goes in this direction. It is still too early to know the results that this regulatory reform is having on the overall accident rate statistics, but it is reasonable to assume that its impact will be very positive towards the progressive elimination of incívicos behaviour at the wheel. Anyway, should complement the action of Justice with an increase of traffic controls to stop 'in situ' to all those drivers who drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

60 years of history and over 300 partners

The AEC has over 300 partners from both private and public sector. Among the first, representatives of the Central governments, regional and Provincial. Also, ACS collaborates with the main associations that operate from various fields, in the road sector. "In the case of private enterprise, the representation of sectors is very wide: from signaling to the dealership, the construction and materials to the consultancy, passing through the management of infrastructure, intelligent transportation systems and road safety", explains Díaz Pineda.