Dudley Curtis
The EU roadworthiness package was last revised in 2014 and consists of Directive 2014/45/EC on Periodic Roadworthiness tests, Directive 2014/47/EC on technical roadside inspections of commercial vehicles and Directive 2014/46/EC on the requirements for issuing registration certificates with implementation in May 2018. The EC is in the phase of preparing its implementation report, expected to be published in the autumn, and the EP will prepare its own implementation report following this. ETSC has prepared this updated position paper to feed into this process including […]
ETSC and a coalition of organisations have written to EU Member States raising serious concerns about draft technical specifications for Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), a mandatory new safety technology for new vehicles due to be introduced from 2022. Excessive speed is still one of the biggest killers on our roads, as the latest data from Germany confirm. Around a third of fatal collisions involve at least one party driving at an inappropriate speed, with cyclists and pedestrians being particularly susceptible. Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) […]
The entry-into-force of a new law in Finland to permit children as young as 15 to drive regular cars fitted with speed limiters has been withdrawn following drawn-out discussions with the European Commission about the legal and road safety implications of the scheme. The proposals, put forward two years ago by the Finnish government, would have allowed children to drive cars up to 1500 kg at speeds of up to 60 km/h and with only an AM category license – normally reserved for mopeds […]
Changes to road safety laws in Italy could lead to the introduction of alcohol interlock programmes for drink driving offenders, as well as updates to numerous road safety rules. The new legal proposal to introduce alcohol interlocks came from the CNEL, a state body with the power to propose new legislation, and has been presented to the two houses of the Italian parliament, marking the first step on the road to adoption. Meanwhile long-running proposals to update an array of other Italian road safety […]
The aim of ROADPOL Safety Days is to reduce the number of traffic fatalities to zero, at least on one day. Traffic police forces from ROADPOL member countries participate in the campaign every year. Activities vary across countries but are centred on enforcement and direct engagement with road users. Organisations in all countries are invited to participate in the ROAPDOL Safety Days campaign, organising national events and activities and sharing the road safety outcomes. Schools, road safety organisations and many others support the campaign […]
The European Commission has published a report by an independent group of experts on the ethics of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs). The report looks at several questions including: who should be responsible in case of a collision when there is no human driver?; how can ethical and responsible data sharing by CAVs be ensured?; and are pedestrians and cyclists more at risk with CAVs in traffic? The expert group outlines twenty recommendations on road safety, privacy, fairness, AI explainability and responsibility for the […]
The UN General Assembly has adopted a new resolution on road safety, co-sponsored by 55 governments. The resolution proclaims the period 2021–2030 as the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety, with a goal of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by at least 50% between 2021 and 2030. The resolution calls for action to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries as a pressing development priority. It also endorses the Stockholm Declaration, approved at the third Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, held in […]
A new report from the OECD’s International Transport Forum (ITF) presents seven case studies of cities that are implementing data-driven road safety policies. It highlights relevant experiences aimed at reducing the number of traffic casualties and protecting vulnerable road users in cities. The case studies from Barcelona, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Fortaleza, London, New York and Rotterdam illustrate the diverse approaches to better understand road crashes and to prevent road traffic deaths and serious injuries. https://www.itf-oecd.org/best-practice-urban-road-safety
A new speed enforcement sign in Poland warns drivers of their current speed as well as the fine and penalty points they could expect to receive if they get caught. The sign has been installed with support from the local police and local authority near a primary school in the district of Lipsko in the province of Mazovia. Od kilku dni nad bezpieczeństwem uczniów PSP w Chotczy Józefów czuwa radarowy wyświetlacz prędkości, który został zainstalowany przy szkole https://t.co/QTlTPNiEnR. Urządzenie to ma charakter prewencyjno-edukacyjny. pic.twitter.com/uYHZfNr4NI […]
The Scottish government is consulting on a new road safety strategy for 2030 to achieve the target of cutting road deaths by 50% by 2030 in line with UN and EU targets. The Scottish government says a “step change in road safety delivery” will be needed, and has published a draft framework for consultation. The UK government currently does not have an overall road safety target, although the nations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales have set targets, along with cities including London and […]
Ellen Townsend, Policy Director After the extraordinary period of lockdown, and an unprecedented 36% drop in road deaths in the EU, extraordinary measures are now being taken to get society and the economy back to normal, or rather, a new kind of normal. Cinemas and theatres are starting to reopen, with lots of empty seats to maintain social distancing. In Brussels, as I write this, it is now mandatory to wear a mask when outside, unless you are involved in a sporting activity. It […]
Euro NCAP, the consumer vehicle safety testing organisation, has launched a new app giving rescue workers easier access to “rescue sheets”, detailed information for different car models on how to safely extricate occupants. After a collision, getting the injured to emergency care quickly and safely is critical. But knowing where and how to cut vehicles open to safely extricate occupants is challenging for emergency rescue workers. In recent years devices such as airbags and electrical vehicle batteries have added to the complexity, and the […]
The EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has criticised the UK government for refusing to accept EU rules on working time and digital tachographs for UK lorries driving in EU Member States. He was speaking following the latest Brexit negotiations round earlier this month. Mr Barnier said allowing UK drivers to follow different rules would undermine the single market and be unfair to EU Member States. He underlined that the rules were important for road safety.
A number of EU Member States have formally notified the European Commission of changes or suspensions to the application of several EU regulations and directives that impact on transport safety. The notifications follow the publication in May of a legal framework for such suspensions in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As ETSC reported in April, several countries had already begun notifying the Commission that they would suspend application of some rules during the epidemic. The framework set out in May allows for temporary […]
Two European countries that have so far prohibited e-scooters are taking very different approaches to permitting their use. Earlier this summer, the UK government cut short a public consultation on e-scooters and brought forward trials of rental schemes as part of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic and worries over increased car use and reduced use of public transport. The privately operated rental schemes in the UK trial mirror those set up in a number of countries in recent years. ETSC’s UK member PACTS […]
The Spanish directorate-general for traffic (DGT) is testing a new mobile speed camera that can detect speeding from up to 1km away, and can also detect mobile phone use and seatbelt wearing. The new mobile enforcement device, which could be approved and in use by the end of the year, would still only be able to apply a speeding penalty from 80-100m away under current rules.
The European Commission will not give carmakers extra time to comply with planned safety or environmental legislation, according to a news report. “The Commission will not propose to postpone the entry into force of any new pollutant emissions or safety legislation,” Johannes Bahrke, a Commission spokesperson was reported as saying by Politico Pro – a subscription EU policy news service. The statement followed a public letter sent by the carmaker lobby group ACEA in June calling for a six-month delay to several pieces of […]
Thousands of miles of new protected bike lanes, cycle training for everyone and bikes available on prescription will be rolled out under new plans to overhaul cycling and walking in England launched by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in July. The new plan aims to build on the significant increase in the number of people cycling during the pandemic. It sets out a long term vision to increase active travel and “embed the benefits of walking and cycling into how we live, work and get […]
Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) is one of the vehicle safety technologies included in the EU’s new General Safety Regulation for motor vehicles (GSR) and will become mandatory for all new vehicles types as of 2022 and all new vehicles as of 2024. The detailed technical requirements for ISA are currently being prepared by the European Commission, who as part of that process have presented a “draft delegated act”. ETSC welcomes the draft delegated act, however, calls on the European Commission to incorporate the following […]
32% of the people who were killed in a traffic collision in 2019 in Germany died in an incident where the police accused at least one driver of driving at an inappropriate speed, according to new official data. The German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reported in July that a total of 963 people died in collisions due to inappropriate speed last year, while 53,687 were injured, 13,769 of them severely.