Road Safety Challenges of Tourist Mobility

The Effectiveness of Traffic Control

Abstract

Introduction: The spatial concentration and seasonal intensity of tourism entail a transformation of the transport environment, resulting in specific road safety challenges within tourist destinations. Although the interdisciplinary approach to tourism security has become increasingly prominent, the role of traffic policing interventions in managing risks arising from tourist mobility has so far received limited systematic analysis.

Objectives: The aim of the study is to demonstrate how tourist mobility contributes to the intensification of road safety risks and how the targeted application of traffic control can enhance the effectiveness of traffic policing interventions in Hungarian tourist destinations.

Methodology: The study applies a theoretical and analytical approach, drawing on a review of the literature on tourism security and road safety, as well as the interpretation of Hungarian road traffic accident statistics and policing experience. The analysis focuses on recurrent traffic rule violations that play a decisive role in the occurrence of severe road traffic accidents.

Results: The analysis indicates that road safety risks in tourist destinations are concentrated in space and time. Speeding, violations of right-of-way rules, and infringements related to turning and manoeuvring primarily increase the likelihood of accidents, while driving under the influence of alcohol or other psychoactive substances and the non-use of passive safety systems aggravate accident outcomes. The study finds that the risk-oriented and targeted application of traffic control offers an effective means of addressing these forms of behaviour in tourist hubs.

Conclusion: The study concludes that traffic control has not only road safety relevance but also significant tourism security implications. Targeted policing interventions concentrated in space and time may contribute to reducing both the number and severity of road traffic accidents and to strengthening the security image of tourist destinations. The findings provide a foundation for further research into risk-based policing approaches in tourism-intensive areas.