The Belgian Road Safety Institute is an official non-profit organisation, close to the Federal Public Service 'Mobility and Transport'. The Minister of Mobility is president of the Institute. It's board of directors includes representatives of public authorities (Federal and Regional Ministries of Transport and Infrastructure, Ministry of Justice, Home Office, State and local police forces) and of the private sector (technical vehicle inspection, insurance companies, the federation of motor vehicle manufacturers and various representative road user associations (car drivers, pedestrians and cyclists)).
The Institute's general aim is to improve road safety by means of information and education and of study and research. Our mission is to advise and support, to represent, co-ordinate and carry out the authority assignments in road safety matters.
The Institute's activities concern the three components of road safety: the road user, the vehicle and the road (the environment).
Concerning the road user, the emphasis lies on the study of the traffic behaviour-influencing factors on the one hand (psycho-social factors, law enforcement, interaction with the vehicle and the road), and on the other hand on information and education, driving training and road safety education. In Belgium the BRSI is most known for road safety campaigns (through large billboards along the roads and posters in public buildings, radio and TV, ...) such as speed, seat belts, campaigns on drinking and driving at the end of the year (Bob), trucks, courtesy, young drivers,… The Institute also examines the driving ability of people with a functional disorder.
Concerning the vehicle, the Institute takes part in the preparation and follow-up of national and international regulations on official approvals and technical specifications. It also contributes to finding solutions to related problems. The Institute takes care of approval tests and verifies the equipment of technical vehicle inspection stations. It is also equipped for of the homologation and verification of breath testing and analysing equipment.
As far as the road and the road environment are concerned, the main aspects are the re-planning and adjustment of the infrastructure in order to decrease the number of accidents and to improve the quality of life in residential areas. General recommendations and guidelines are established and published. The municipal road authorities are advised on concrete projects for re-organising the road network.
Since 2002 the IBSR has been appointed to coordinate the Federal Road Safety Commission which develops and discusses road safety actions in order to support the federal authorities in achieving the road safety goals which where set in 2002: cutting the number of traffic deaths by half by 2010.
IBSR became a full member of ETSC in 1999.
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