European Commission - Page 4
A harmonised EU code on alcohol interlock devices for driving licences comes into force on 15 May in a move that could help boost usage and enforcement of the technology across Europe. Several countries in the EU including Sweden, Finland, France, Belgium and the Netherlands have laws requiring drink driving offenders to install alcohol interlocks in their vehicles. The devices prevent the vehicle from being driven if the driver has been drinking. 6500 deaths could be prevented annually if drink driving was eliminated in […]
A major new study for the European Commission has identified a range of new vehicle safety technologies that are suitable for mandatory fitting as part of a review of EU vehicle safety legislation. The report, carried out by consultants TRL, names technologies including Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), Automated Emergency Braking (AEB) and seat belt reminder systems in passenger seats as ‘feasible in terms of the technology required’, already available on the market and offering a positive benefit-cost ratio. Plans already agreed by the EU […]
A major review of EU road infrastructure safety management legislation has found that the impact has been positive for road safety in a number of key areas. Extending the legislation to cover national roads as well as the trans-European road network currently covered would also save more lives according to the analysis. A number of countries are already doing this. The report found that many countries have not encountered difficulties in the application of the directive. Furthermore, evidence suggests that Member States with poorer […]
Road deaths fell by a negligible 1% in the EU last year according to new data released today by the European Commission. The drastic slowdown in progress puts at risk the region’s target of halving road deaths by 2020. Commenting on the figures, Antonio Avenoso, Executive Director of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) said: “While there is no single factor that explains today’s deeply worrying figures there is no doubt that in recent years, the EU and many member states have shifted road […]
In 2011, the European Commission published its Transport White Paper “Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area-Towards a competitive and resource efficient transport system”. This followed the EC’s ‘Road Safety Policy Orientations’ (RSPO), published in July 2010, a framework with the objective of reducing road deaths by 50% by 2020. The 2011 White Paper was welcomed by ETSC, primarily for including a ‘Vision Zero’ complementing the “Road Safety Policy Orientations 2011-2020” target of halving road deaths by 2020. ETSC also welcomed the ambition “to […]
The European Commission has adopted new rules which will help provide road users across the EU with more accurate, accessible and up-to-date traffic information related to their journeys including data on static and dynamic speed limits. The standardised digital information, which could also include expected delays, estimated travel times, information about accidents, road works and road closures, warnings about weather conditions and any other relevant information can be delivered through multiple channels such as variable message signs, radio traffic message channels and navigation devices. […]
In July 2010, the European Commission published a set of ‘Road Safety Policy Orientations’ (RSPO), a framework with the objective of reducing road deaths by 50% by 2020. While ETSC welcomed the adoption of the 2020 target, our response to the RSPO was that it was a significant step backwards compared to the three previous European Road Safety Action Programmes. ETSC described the document as containing ‘a weak set of objectives and actions’ which calls ‘seriously into question the chances of reaching the target’. […]
The recently-appointed EU commissioner for transport Violeta Bulc has said road safety will be one of the ‘top priorities’ of her mandate. Speaking in a video message recorded for World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, Mrs Bulc made the ‘personal pledge’ to the families, friends and colleagues of those that have lost people close to them or have been ‘physically or mentally affected’ by road collisions. Bulc, who is from Slovenia, was a last-minute addition to the team of President Jean-Claude Juncker […]
ETSC has written to the president-designate of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker following early indications that transport safety could be deprioritised by the new Commission. The letter was a response to a six-page ‘mission letter’ sent by Mr Juncker to Maroš Šefčovič, who is set to become the new EU transport policy chief replacing Siim Kallas. In the mission letter, which was published on the Commission website, Mr Juncker only mentioned safety in passing, and only in very vague terms. The topic was not mentioned […]
Two new reports are supportive of further measures to boost the use of alcohol interlocks in passenger and goods vehicles in the EU but stop short of recommending measures that would mandate mass adoption in the short term due mainly to cost concerns. ETSC says this approach is short-sighted because mandatory use for some categories of drivers and vehicles would drive innovation, bring down costs and save many more lives. Of the two studies, carried out by Italian consultancy TRT for the European Parliament […]
ETSC welcomes the new White Paper on Competitive and Resource Efficient Transport. In this response ETSC looks in Part 1 at the specific actions related to road safety and in Part 2 analyses the different measures presented that will also have an impact on road safety. It suggests areas for improvement and additions for saving lives on Europe’s roads.
ETSC welcomes the new EC Communication entitled “Towards a European Road Safety Area: policy orientations on road safety 2011-2020” particularly the new target set to reduce road deaths by a further 50% by 2020. In this response in Part 1 ETSC looks at the overall structure of the Communication and then in Part 2 analyses in detail the different measures presented for action by the European Commission for the next decade. ETSC suggests areas for improvement and addition also with the aim of setting […]
This paper presents new ideas for European action to save lives on Europe’s roads for the decade ahead. The year 2010 is a deadline for both reaching the EU’s target of halving road deaths (set in 2001) and the end of the 3rd Road Safety Action Programme (adopted in 2003). The EU will probably not reach the target and serious lessons must be drawn from the past ten years. New targets must be set for 2020 which will mobilise action at a joint European […]
Time for a Directive ETSC’s new publication “Traffic Law Enforcement across the EU – Time for a Directive” responds to the European Commission’s Public Consultation “Respecting the Rules: Better Road Safety Enforcement in the EU” published in November 2006. Only with a Directive the EU will be sure to introduce the minimal requirements to achieve high standards in the enforcement of legislation as set out in the Commission’s Recommendation on traffic law enforcement (EC 2004). A legislative proposal should also include the cross border […]