RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
November 8, 2000
RoSPA ANGER OVER THREAT TO CAR SAFETY PLAN IN EUROPE
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is appalled by plans to water down proposals designed to make car fronts more "pedestrian friendly" - and save 2,000 lives a year across the European Union.
The Enterprise Commissioner wants to overturn a longstanding European Commission commitment to legislation, aimed at protecting pedestrians hit by cars, in favour of a much weaker voluntary code for manufacturers.
Dave Rogers, RoSPA Road Safety Adviser, said today: "This is appalling news. For the sake of our children, and all other vulnerable road-users, this must not be allowed to happen.
"The UK Government’s road safety strategy notes that a legislative proposal incorporating four interdependent tests could reduce serious and fatal pedestrian injuries nationally by 20 per cent.
"This would mean real progress on reducing the number of child pedestrian casualties in this country, which has the worst record in Europe for such accidents, apart from Ireland.
"These improvements to cars could do for pedestrians what seatbelts have done to reduce death and injury among car occupants."
The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) estimates that around 2,000 lives and 18,000 serious injuries could be prevented annually if all cars on EU roads today met these tests.
Devising four interdependent car crash tests leading to better protection for vulnerable road users has been the focus of a 22-year EU-funded research and development programme. It has involved national transport laboratories, government departments and industry, brought together by the European Enhanced Safety of Vehicles Committee (EEVC).
"Fewer and weaker tests are proposed under the voluntary agreement. They cannot deliver the anticipated benefits of the legislation and must be resisted at all costs," Dave Rogers said.
He was raising the matter at a meeting with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions today.
