EuroTest Survey Assesses Safety in 25 European Road TunnelsThe survey "Safety in Road Tunnels 2003" carried out by several European motoring associations for the European ADAC motoring consortium assesses safety levels and fire risks in 25 road tunnels throughout 11 European countries. The study's safety and risk ratings were based on several factors, including width of lanes, lighting, congestion, traffic surveillance, communication, escape routes, fire systems, ventilation and crisis management. It also took into account the number of lorries using the tunnels, as the more there are the greater the risk of fire. Other considerations taken into account were the gradient of the tunnels, which can influence the spreading of smoke, and restrictions on carrying hazardous goods. Inspectors also looked at the fact that two-way traffic in a tunnel increases the risk of serious accidents such as head-on collisions.The safest European tunnel this year is the Pomy tunnel (Switzerland) followed by the Weserauen tunnel near Hannover in Germany. The 8.6 km cross-border Somport tunnel between Spain and France was rated 97% is the third safest in the sample.The four inspected British tunnels have been named as four of the worst road tunnels in the assessment. The north part of the Blackwall tunnel under the Thames rated "very poor". The Rotherhithe tunnel in London, Blackwall's south tunnel and the Tyne tunnel were rated "poor". For the second year running the Tyne tunnel has been described as "poor". It comes just days after the public inquiry into a proposed second Tyne tunnel came to an end. Rotherhithe had no lay-bys or emergency lanes, was congested every day, had no traffic radio, non-soundproofed emergency phones, no emergency lighting for escape routes, no signs identifying escape routes and no automatic tunnel closure when fire is detected. Both the Blackwall north and south tunnel had no traffic radio, poorly-marked and non-soundproofed emergency phones, no lay-bys or emergency lanes and when a fire is detected there was no automatic activation of fire ventilation nor automatic tunnel closure. The northbound Blackwall tunnel was built in 1897 for horses and carts and the Rotherhithe opened in 1905. Both need major refurbishment. Experts also criticised the Tyne tunnel for a range of faults, including having no emergency lay-bys, no emergency lighting for escape routes and no automatic closing of the tunnel in the event of fire. It is congested every day. The study found that the management of UK tunnels is very good. It is what the professional managers have to operate that is so poor.The tunnel which crosses the Alfabia mountains in the municipalities of Sóller and Bunyola in Mallorca (Baleares islands) is one of the worst tunnels for driver safety in Europe. It is a narrow two-way single-tube tunnel, 3 km in length, which was opened in 1997. There are no aditional escape routes or lanes, no signalling about which way to take in case of emergency. No special measures have been planned in case of fire and the firemen squad in the area has not been trained to accidents in tunnels. The tunnel has no traffic radio nor monitoring video cameras and it is poorly-marked. Other most dangerous tunnels in the survey are Waasland (Belgium) and Maas (Netherlands).The two assessed Spanish tunnels are among the best and the worst. Such situation has been repeated in three of the last four surveys on safety in road tunnels carried out by the European motoring associations. In the 2000 survey, the Viella tunnel (Huesca) appeared to be the most dangerous in Europe while in 2001, the Monrepós tunnel also finished in the last place. In 2002, the San Juan in Alicante was the fifth worst tunnel for safety and in 2003, the Sóller tunnel is judged as one of the least safe in Europe. As a consequence, RACE - the Spanish motoring association - requires the immediate implementation of a national plan to homogenize and improve safety in the Spanish tunnels. 18/03.