Commission road safety policy review lacks timetable and action on drink driving

The European Commission has published its review of the ‘Road Safety Policy Orientations’ (RSPO), a strategy published in 2010 with the objective of reducing road deaths by 50% by 2020.

The progress report consists of a set of three documents: a European Commission Staff Working Document, an Interim Evaluation Report and a study commissioned to independent expert Jeanne Breen.

ETSC welcomed some of the key priorities of the review including infrastructure safety, vulnerable road users, vehicle safety and traffic law enforcement. However, there a number of elements fall well short of what’s needed, according to ETSC.

The lack of an expected target for serious injuries (see story) is seen as a key failing. But an overarching concern is the lack of an implementation timetable, needed to structure and prioritise the main measures for adoption. The review also fails to deliver on addressing drink and drug driving – still major risk factors in road safety.

ETSC has published a short briefing in response to the review. An earlier briefing, published last November as input to the Commission’s review process, contained ETSC’s detailed analysis of the implementation of the Road Safety Policy Orientations so far.