No C 101/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 28. 4. 86 
inspection methods. In addition, opening hours should 
allow for the preferential treatment granted to intermodal 
transport, in particular its exemption from driving bans. 
3.5. Article 6 
The Committee lends its full support to the proposed 
change. 
3.6. Article 6 a) 
The Committee approves transfer of responsibilities to 
specific supervisory bodies. Above all, these bodies should 
act on the principle that only the essential factors need to be 
supervised. 
3.7. Article 7 
The separation of vehicles into those waiting to be cleared 
and those carrying goods under a customs transit 
procedure or travelling unladen is one of the key practical 
measures for speeding up traffic at frontier crossing points. 
However, the possibilities afforded here will not be of any 
benefit unless the checks stipulated by traffic laws (e.g. 
checks on weights and axle loads), are carried out on a spot-
check basis and do not take place at frontiers. This should 
also apply by analogy to the clearance of air freight. 3.8. Article 8 a) 
An information system is necessary and should not be 
confined to the responsibilities of frontier checking posts 
for goods traffic. Information on veterinary and plant 
health regulations and legal retrictions on traffic (ban on 
journeys on Sundays or public holidays) should also be 
included. The Community should also codify relevant 
Community law so that anyone involved in international 
goods traffic can obtain an overall view of the relevant 
provisions at any time. 
3.9. Article 10 a) 
The form proposed by the Commission for the committee is 
not expedient. It would be more expedient for the 
Commission to intervene directly in local problems of 
special importance for cross-frontier goods traffic. The 
Committee thinks that, if practical solutions are to be 
found as quickly as possible, direct contacts between the 
Commission and all those directly involved in freight 
transport are more important than a committee consisting 
of representatives of the Member States and the Commis­
sion. 
Done at Brussels, 26 February 1986. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Gerd MUHR 
Opinion on European Road Safety Year (1986) 
(86/C 101/04) 
At its 168th meeting of 12 February 1986, the Section for Transport and Communications acted on 
the request from its chairman under Article 20 (4) of the rules of procedure to draw up an own-
initiative opinion on European Road Safety Year (1986), with reference to the 1984 Committee 
opinion on road safety (]). It adopted a draft opinion prepared by Mr Masprone, who had also been 
the rapporteur for the 1984 opinion. However, the procedure still remained subject to the 
agreement of the Committee Bureau, which was granted on 25 February 1986. 
At its 234th Plenary Session (meeting of 26 February 1986) the Committee adopted the following 
opinion by a unanimous vote: 
(!) Committee opinion adopted on 24 May 1984, OJ No C 206, 6. 8. 1984, p. 60. 
28. 4. 86 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 101/9 
1. The Economic and Social Committee welcomes the 
designation of 1986 as European Road Safety Year (*). The 
action planned for this year, whether to educate the public 
(topics: drunken driving, wearing of seatbelts, observation 
of speed limits, protection of cyclists and motorcyclists, 
child safety) or involving legislation and research, will 
undoubtedly help improve the present situation. 
2. Despite some improvement in recent years, road 
safety figures are still a cause for alarm. In 1984 more than 
52,000 people were killed and more than 1,6 million injured 
in the 12 Member States. The Committee cannot remain 
indifferent in the face of this. 
3. On a number of occasions the Committee has stressed 
the need for concerted action at Community level to 
improve road safety. In its last opinion on the subject, 
issued in 1984 (2), the Committee called for the speedy 
introduction of a road safety programme involving 
(*) Cf.: a) Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of 
the Governments of the Member States of the European 
Communities, meeting within the Council, of 19 December 
1984, on Road Safety (OJ No C 341,21. 12. 1984, p. 1). This is 
based on the draft Council resolution of 20 March 1984 on the 
implementation of a Community programme on road safety 
(OJ No C 95, 6. 4. 1984, p. 2); b) Conclusions of the Council 
and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member 
States of the European Communities, meeting within the 
Council, of 14 November 1985, on European Road Safety Year 
(1986) and future community road safety measures. 
(2) ESC opinion on the abovementioned Commission proposal 
(OJ No C 206, 6. 8. 1984, p. 60) 
Done at Brussels, 26 February 1986. measures to improve transport infrastructure, the technical 
equipment of vehicles, and road user behaviour. The 
opinion also tackled more concrete aspects such as the 
development of common standards aimed at continuous 
improvement of the safety levels of all road vehicles, 
development and extension of traffic contol systems 
(electronic road traffic aids), cooperation in the field of 
research, and urban traffic safety. In another opinion (3), 
the Committee called for periodic technical inspections of 
passenger cars. 
4. While welcoming this Road Safety Year, the Commit­
tee notes that in the revised Regulation (EEC) No 543/69 on 
the harmonization of certain social legislation relating to 
road transport, the Council has not taken sufficient 
account of the suggestions made by the Committee. 
Nevertheless the Committee firmly hopes that the Road 
Safety Year will usher in a greater awareness of the 
problems and the implementation of effective Community 
provisions. Harmonization of safety rules in the different 
Member States and any Community action which helps to 
reduce road accidents will also give a boost to European 
integration. 
5. The Committee will play an active part in the 
campaign throughout the year, and asks the socio­
economic groups which it represents to give their active 
support to all action in this area, whether at Community or 
national level. 
(3) ESC opinion on the proposals for the amendment of EEC 
Directives on the lead content of petrol and motor-vehicle 
emissions (OJ No C 25, 28. 1. 1985,p. 46) 
The Chairman 
of the Economic and Social Committee 
Gerd MUHR