Municipal policies over the last few years have been putting the emphasis on road safety, to reduce accident rates and prevent risky behaviour. In addition, Barcelona is sharing the Visió Zero project for reducing fatalities and serious injuries in traffic accidents.
It is here that the GUB provides support for the area's requests for preventing and reducing accident rates and controlling any poor road discipline, to reduce the level of associated risks.
The general duties that the Traffic Division carries out here therefore relate to information, education, awareness raising, prevention and correction of poor road discipline:
- Drafting, launching and monitoring the Barcelona Road Safety Plan
- Analysing accident rates and key-risk areas
- Training designed for citizens and businesses
- Drafting proposals for improving traffic arrangements/signage
There are also specific tasks that the three units answerable to the Traffic Division are responsible for:
Central Traffic Unit
- Inspection of passenger and goods transport
- Ensuring road safety during popular and sports events
- Escorting transport vehicles and celebrities with exceptional needs
- Managing traffic, especially on the city’s ring roads and primary connectivity routes
- Assisting other units to guarantee smooth traffic flow, mobility, and road safety throughout the city
Central Traffic Accident Unit
- Traffic-accident assistance and investigation
- Statement investigation and instruction
- Analysis and study of results obtained from drug-test and alcohol-breathalyser controls
- Intervention in traffic accidents with serious injuries or fatalities
- Investigation of road safety offences
- Investigation of road safety-related criminal offences
- Advising territorial unit patrols and intervening in traffic accidents with minor injuries or material damage, when necessary
- Communication and support for families of seriously injured or deceased victims and subsequent case follow-up
- Investigation, reconstruction, and analysis of road accidents
- Reconstruction of accidents at the request of the judicial authority, including cases from the Barcelona Guàrdia Urbana and other police forces
- Follow-up and support for traffic accident victims
- Study of accident data involving vulnerable groups
- Analysis of accident rates and risk areas in the city
- Preparation of road safety prevention reports
- Organisation of occupational road safety training actions
- Organisation of training sessions for vulnerable groups
Central Recorded Footage Office
- Control, validation, and processing of offences captured through the technological systems available to the Guàrdia Urbana
- Assistance in investigations related to road safety offences
Of all the initiatives, preventive actions aimed at raising awareness of responsible behaviour, positive communal life, solidarity and respect are becoming increasingly important in reducing accident rates.
Here the GUP is offering training sessions for company workers who travel through Barcelona by motorcycle or moped, giving workshops to schools in the city (Safety Education Service) and preparing campaigns for providing advice for the elderly.
It also collaborates on one-off information and awareness-raising campaigns with other areas of the City Council.
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