Held in Logroño on 4 and 5 may, under the auspices of the Spanish Road Association (AEC)

The opportunity of the transposition of Directive 2008/96/EC provides a wide field of action to incorporate the most advanced in the field of road safety procedures to the roads. In the case of networks conventions, which are requiring more effort from the point of view of the improvement of safety, this implies a major challenge; experts gathered in Logroño pointed out safety inspections and the identification of sections susceptible of improvement as tools of the directive should apply in this kind of way.

In this context, there is a new technical scenario in which a high level of training and qualification is needed to implement these methodologies, both by the technicians of the administrations responsible for roads, and specialists of the consultancy firms.

The problems of accident on the voyages and those affecting particularly the most vulnerable users of the roads (pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists) have also been subjected to analysis by participating professionals in the V National Congress on road safety. So much so that, during the closing ceremony, the Minister of housing and works public of the Government of La Rioja, Burgos Antoninus, pledged to give preferential attention to those problems.

The holder of public works of the Regional Government regretted the increase in accidents from motorists, both state roads and exclusive competition regional, "should motivate us all to search, find and implement on a priority basis elements that would safeguard their security".

Burgos also noted that the safety of the pedestrians "should be above any other circulatory criteria". The installation of reducing elements of speed, the extension of the spaces intended for pedestrians, the improvement of vertical and horizontal signalling, as well as the adequacy of lighting "are factors essential to act in a journey". The integration of these voyages in the urban streets of the towns which run and reconcile pedestrian traffic with the road are two interests that must be addressed when analyzing the function and improvement of these routes belonging to the local road networkadded the Adviser in tune with the technical conclusions reached during the work of the Congress sessions.

"Although we are in a period of crisis, we must give priority and devote our economic efforts to improve the conditions that the driver is on our roads, a few safe ways that can travel without danger of having an accident as far as possible"stated the President of the Government of La Rioja, Pedro Sanz Alonso, at the opening of the V National Congress on road safety.

Sanz welcomed in his inaugural address the existence of conferences of this nature, which are analyzed with the rules and put in value the recent decision to establish the figure of the auditors of road safety that are carrying out measures that will lead to safer roads. "I think it is vital and is consistent with the message of confidence and security that we must convey to our drivers, not to mention that they also have a responsibility and have to be careful." "But in our hand is putting the means necessary to make this possible."

For its part, the President of the Spanish Road Association (AEC), Miguel Mª Muñoz, in statements to the media, welcomed at the opening of the meeting by the progressive reduction of mortality due to road traffic that comes with over the past two years on Spanish roads, something which "confirms the consolidation of the road network of high-performance from the point of view of security".

The Chairman of the AEC warned that "the current problems of insecurity and accident are located primarily in conventional road network, as they come to corroborate - once more-sinister figures registered during the Easter holidays".

In his view, "the roads of second-order or conventional require urgent proceedings, and thus it is claiming it for a long time the Spanish Road Association: improvements layout, reconstruction of a number of kilometers, equipment of last generación…" "Measures which introduce the concept of Clement road in the conventional way: i.e., roads to avoid human error or mitigate the fatal consequences of it, if". Muñoz, is in this type of infrastructure, therefore, lies the challenge of improving road safety in Spain during the next few years.

Miguel Mª Muñoz also recalled that the current context of systematic reduction of investment in roads is a "worrying scenario" for the materialization of these socks and the effective implementation of the Royal Decree by which transposes directive of security in infrastructure road legislation Spain.

The first edition of the Congress was held in Logroño in 2004, as well as calls for the third and fourth, held in 2007 and 2009, what makes this city in the Spanish capital of road safety.

Since its inception, this national forum has brought together more than 1,000 experts who have discussed each and every one of the contrasts in this important area of the road, and always low sector the bass the technical direction of the director-general of roads and transport of the Government of La RiojaAntonio García Cuadra, who has also acted as general rapporteur on this occasion.

The highlights of this fifth National Congress of road safety, held in Logroño on 4 and 5 May 2011, are summarized in the following points.

1. The opportunity of the transposition of Directive 2008/96/EC is a new field of action to incorporate the most advanced in the field of road safety procedures to the roads of the country. What it represents, in addition, a major challenge in order to achieve an optimum adaptation to the demands and needs of conventional networks.
2. Among the tools contained in this directive, safety inspections for roads in service and the identification of sections with high potential for improvement are which are emerging as of greater applicability in conventional roads.
3. Also, opens a new stage in which gets highlighted the need for a strategy of high level training that will allow to have qualified professionals for the application of the methodologies contained in the directive, both by the technicians of the competent administrations in the field of road, as the specialists of the consultancy firms.
4. It remains as a problem requiring more ambitious proposals the aspects concerning the management of access to the main roads, such as the design and operation of intersections, where still appears a significant percentage of accidents in the country.
5. Also, has been highlighted the growing sensitivity of all professionals working in the sector of the road with regard to the vulnerable road users of road infrastructure, both pedestrians and cyclists and motorcyclists.
6. Finally, it should be noted the significant progress that are running in the design, adequacy and conservation of crossings, areas of special dangerous from the point of view of the accident as systematically pointing comes out in these congresses.

In summary, we can conclude with two final considerations:

• The need for the comprehensive implementation of the tools contained in the directive of safety of road infrastructure to all of the roads in the country.
• And the maxim according to which, in general, the new tends to work well, while problems remain in the old designs, where, no doubt, you have to focus future efforts.