The former rally champion’s report responds to the European Commission’s third “European Safety Action Programme: Halving the number of road accident victims in the European Union by 2010”, published in June 2003, in which the European Commission targets to halve the number of road accidents down to 25 000 until 2010.
In order to achieve such a result, Ari Vatanen points out that road safety should combine improvements regarding:
Safer drivers - If every drivers followed traffic common rules (eg wearing a seat belt, respecting the legal speed limit, no drinking driving), road fatalities would be cut by more than 60%. However, enforcement of the existing law is a member state competence. Hence the recommendation to apply the principle of mutual recognition of financial penalties to traffic offences: crossing the border should not allow traffic offenders to escape penalty any longer;
Safer vehicles - Passive safety (eg seat belt reminders, electronic stability controls, and speed limitation systems) should be encouraged, although their impact will be progressive;
Safer roads - safety issues should become a prerequisite for road construction. Besides, road signs should be harmonised within the European Union.
The European Parliament’s report also calls for a pragmatic “name, fame, shame” approach which would create political pressure and set performance indicators and targets. Ari Vatanen also identifies new priorities for future actions: young road users, motorcycle riding and vulnerable road users and support for less performing member states.
Background figures
According to the European Commission’s Road Accident data base (CARE), 40,000 lives are lost each year in the EU with a further 1.7 million people injured.
The figures vary greatly between EU member states: The Baltic States being 8 times as unsafe as the United Kingdom which obtains the best results within the European Union.
Road traffic accidents remain the main cause of death for the under 50 year’s age group;
The direct and indirect costs in the EU25 are around 200 billion Euros a year, representing 2% of the EU GNP (Gross National Product);
Over three decades (1970-2000), road traffic has tripled.
Related EPHA activities: EPHA is partner in the Voice project which aims to raise awareness of the needs of vulnerable road users among EU policy makers.
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