A decisive day for Road Tunnel Safety Management Systems
On 22nd January 2026, the CETU and the transport ministry’s Road Mobility Directorate organised a workshop to review 10 years of development of Safety Management Systems (SMS) in the regional road directorates (DIR), with a look ahead to the future.
To improve the safe operation of tunnels on the State-managed road network, a Safety Management System (SMS) initiative was launched in June 2016 with French Regional Road Directorates (DIRs). In less than 10 years, and after an initial 6-year audit cycle, the DIRs now have Safety Management Systems whose maturity and operational nature are acknowledged.
At this pivotal moment, the CETU and the Ministry’s Road Mobility Directorate decided to invite key Safety Management System stakeholders in the DIRs (in particular SMS managers and pilots) to a workshop, in order to consolidate feedback and plan future actions. This day took place on the CETU’s premises.
After an introduction by Sylvain RÉALLON (the transport ministry’s Road Mobility Directorate) and Éric PREMAT (Deputy Director of the CETU), the morning was devoted to a review of the issues at stake, feedback from the DIRs and an overall assessment by the CETU.
The afternoon provided an opportunity for everyone to have their say. Participants were divided into two parallel workshops to discuss the sustainability of the approach and support requirements from the CETU, before coming together for a joint debriefing.
The Road Mobility Directorate and the CETU closed the day by highlighting the progress made through collective work and the need to keep these Safety Management Systems alive in a complex environment, with a view to continuous improvement. To assist the DIRs in this process, a new CETU document has just been published (currently in French only): ‘Road Tunnel Safety Management Systems: stakeholders, components, construction and life cycle of a SMS’. This document was distributed to participants during the day. An English version will be made available mid 2026.