Abstract: Dangerous goods are materials and objects whose transport is prohibited, compliant with the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR), or exempted from ADR. Every day, dangerous substances that pose a threat to human health, life, and the environment are transported on Polish roads. Due to their significant share in freight transport, there is a high probability of an accident involving these types of substances. This paper discusses the general scheme of road accident occurrence and the main causes of accidents involving dangerous goods. The analysis of accident causes is presented based on statistics from the National Police Headquarters.1. INTRODUCTION
Annually, over 110 billion tonne-kilometers of dangerous goods are transported within the EU. These include fuels, gases, waste, and other chemicals; 58% of these shipments are road transport, 25% rail, and 17% of transport takes place via inland waterways. The transport of dangerous goods accounts for 8% of all freight transport in the European Union. Such a large quantity of transported dangerous materials means that the probability of an ecological disaster is high.
In 2007, the European Parliament adopted a proposal to simplify European legislation regarding the transport of dangerous goods. The proposed directive harmonizes and reduces the number of regulations concerning the transport of dangerous cargo.
In summary, the purpose of the regulations governing the transport of dangerous goods is to eliminate or limit the associated risk by reducing the probability of an accident and the scale of potential damage. Despite the transport requirements contained in the relevant regulations for consignors and distributors, a large number of accidents involving
dangerous goods occur in the country every year, posing a major threat to people and the natural environment
[4], [5].
This paper is an attempt to analyze the main causes of accidents involving dangerous goods in the years 2007 and 2008.
The paper discusses the scheme of road accident occurrence and analyzes the causes of accidents involving dangerous goods based on National Police Headquarters statistics for the years 2007-2008.
The conclusion points to other factors ensuring the safe transport of dangerous goods. (…)
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Source: Logistyka Magazine