Implementing evidence based policy in a network-setting. Dutch Road Safety Policy in a shift from a Home to an Away Match

Abstract In order to improve road safety in the Netherlands, in 1992 the Institute for Road Safety Research (SWOV) developed the evidence-based ‘Sustainable Safety’ concept. Dutch road safety policy, based on this concept, was quite successful and seen as a best practice in Europe. Recently the policy context has changed from a sectoral policy setting towards a fragmented network, in which safety is a facet of other transport-related policies. In this contribution, it is argued that the implementation strategy underlying Sustainable Safety should be aligned with the changed context. In order to explore the adjustments needed, two perspectives of policy implementation are discussed: (1) national evidence-based policies with sectoral implementation and (2) decentralised negotiation on transport policy in which road safety is only one aspect. We argue that the latter approach matches the characteristics of the newly evolved policy context best, and conclude with recommendations for reformulating the implementation strategy.