European Commission - Page 4
EU health ministers have formally called on the European Commission to launch a comprehensive EU strategy dedicated to the reduction of alcohol-related harm by the end of 2016, following a similar request from the European Parliament in April. The last EU-wide alcohol programme officially ended in 2012 and has not been replaced. Ministers said the strategy should tackle the health, social and economic consequences of the harmful use of alcohol and focus on initiatives with a cross-border dimension. The Council also called upon member […]
Better data collection on the role of distraction in collisions across the EU and a standardised interface to fix and connect mobile devices to the car dashboard are two of the recommendations of a new report on countermeasures for in-vehicle distraction for the European Commission. The study, by TRL, TNO and Rapp-Trans, published last month says data on how many collisions involve distraction is poor but experts estimate that it plays a role in 10-30% of them. The authors suggest promoting ‘Distracted by device’ […]
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 […]
Briefing: European Commission Interim evaluation of the Policy orientations on road safety 2011-2020
In June 2015, half way to 2020, the European Commission published its review of the ‘Road Safety Policy Orientations’ (RSPO), a framework with the objective of reducing road deaths by 50% by 2020 published in 2010. The review consists of a set of three documents: a European Commission Staff Working Document, a European Commission Interim Evaluation Report and a study commissioned to independent expert Jeanne Breen. In 2010 the road safety community had hoped for, and expected, a new EU 10-year action programme providing […]
A long-promised EU strategic target to reduce serious road injuries has been dropped from a major European Commission review of the region’s road safety policy published yesterday. The European Transport Safety Council is calling on ministers at today’s Transport Council meeting in Luxembourg, to ask the Commission to come forward with the target as promised. ETSC’s analysis shows that more than 200,000 people suffered life-changing injuries in road collisions last year – an increase of 3% since 2013. The watered-down language published in a […]
More than 70 experts and representatives of road safety organisations and victims groups from across Europe together with 12 members of the European Parliament have written to President Jean-Claude Juncker urging him to reverse a decision to drop the announcement of a new EU target to cut serious road injuries. The letter was sent yesterday, ahead of Thursday’s meeting of national transport ministers in Luxembourg where the target was set to be announced. The European Transport Safety Council has learnt that the announcement of […]
The European Commissioner for Transport Violetta Bulc has spoken in support of further steps to tackle drink driving in Europe. Speaking in a pre-recorded video statement for an event in the European Parliament today she reiterated her earlier promise that road safety would be one of the ‘top priorities’ of her mandate. But while pointing out that across the EU drink driving “is responsible for a quarter of road deaths” she also admitted that Europe is “behind” on use of technology that can tackle […]
More than 50 civil society organisations, including ETSC, have joined forces to create the ‘Better Regulation Watchdog’ – a network to protect citizens’, workers’ and consumers’ rights. The network was launched today in Brussels, one day ahead of the expected announcement of the European Commission’s so-called ‘Better Regulation’ reforms. The network of organisations from around Europe is concerned that the ‘Better Regulation’ agenda aims to weaken or undermine essential regulations and subordinate the public good to corporate interests. The creation of the network is […]
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 […]