EU sets new target to cut serious road injuries

European Union transport ministers have formally agreed to set a target of halving the number of serious injuries on roads in the EU by 2030 from their 2020 level.

In ‘council conclusions‘ adopted today, ministers formally endorsed the Valletta declaration on improving road safety, issued at an informal meeting organised by the Maltese presidency on 29 March 2017. Ministers also called on the European Commission to come forward with a new road safety strategy for the decade 2020-2030.

Antonio Avenoso, Executive Director of ETSC, said:

“We warmly welcome today’s commitment to a long term target to tackle deaths and, for the first time, serious injuries on EU roads. But if the EU is serious about meeting this goal, meaningful measures are needed now. EU vehicle safety standards have not been updated since 2009 despite rapid advances in technology that can help drivers keep within speed limits and avoid collisions. Every day of delay will lead to more unnecessary deaths and serious injuries on our roads.”

25,500 people died on EU roads in 2016, a figure virtually unchanged in three years. In addition, the European Commission estimates that more than 135,000 suffer serious injuries each year.