WRITTEN QUESTION P-2583/00

by Nelly Maes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(25 July 2000)

Subject: Measures to introduce safer car bumpers

42 500 people die on the European Union's roads every year, including 9300 pedestrians and cyclists. The vast majority of the pedestrians and cyclists who are killed are either young or elderly. Because of this state of affairs, the Commission outlined a number of priorities in March 2000 with the aim of improving the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.

However, the directive announced by Commissioner Liikanen (which was expected in spring 2000), which was to render four scientifically studied tests compulsory for the car industry, has yet to see the light of day. The four tests were supposed to reduce injuries caused to pedestrians and cyclists by bumpers and bonnets in the event of a collision. Research has shown that this could save 2 175 lives per annum in the EU.

We wonder why this directive, which was promised and is sorely needed, still has not been approved. Each month of delay means 175 lives lost in the European Union which could have been saved thanks to such a directive.

Will the Commission introduce this directive?

If so, when exactly?

If so, will the Commission incorporate all four tests (lower leg, pelvis, child's head and adult's head) in the directive in order to save lives?

If so, will the Commission make this test and the associated safety requirements compulsory for all new cars?

If not, can the Commission give sufficiently strong reasons why these life-saving measures are not being introduced, or at least not yet?

Joint answer to Written Questions P-2131/00, P-2133/00, P-2155/00, P-2156/00, P-2157/00, P-2158/00, E-2239/00, E-2385/00, E-2410/00, E-2462/00, P-2482/00, P-2493/00, P-2503/00, P-2579/00, P-2583/00, E-2610/00 and P-2760/00 given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(8 September 2000)

The Commission shares the views of the Parliament on the promotion of road safety in the Community and the concerns presented in a series of questions from Honourable Members. The adoption of measures to increase transport safety and reduce the number of victims is a primary objective of Commission policy.

The Commission is convinced that improved road safety is the shared responsibility of everyone, that is to say, the Community, the national, regional and local authorities of the Member States, the motor vehicle industry, and also road users themselves. The measures to be taken include the improvement of infrastructures, road users' and drivers' education, traffic codes and technical controls, as well as active and passive safety provisions on motor vehicles.

As indicated by some Honourable Members, the Commission in its communication(1) of 17 March 2000 entitled Priorities in EU road safety progress report and ranking of actions, identified safer car fronts for pedestrians and cyclists by means of type approval and possible in-use legislation as one of its short to medium term road safety priorities.

The Commission is well aware of the risks for pedestrians and cyclists in road accidents. The subject of pedestrian protection has been in intensive discussion in the last months with the interested parties. All concerned, including vehicle manufacturers, have been consulted and have had the occasion to present their proposals on the best way to approach this issue. These discussions have also been tackling aspects of technical requirements for safer front design in the case of a collision.

The question of designing cars to reduce injuries in case of accidents at low speed with pedestrians is technically complicated. It is a new approach which has not been tried anywhere in the world. Much work has been done regarding the development of a performance standard

by European academic institutions that specialise in passive safety of vehicles. Europe is in the forefront in this field. The measures taken have to be based on well-established scientific evaluation processes. This work takes time and is not yet finished. During the discussions the manufacturers have presented a draft commitment concerning the technical requirements.

As a number of technical issues are unresolved, the Commission has asked its Joint research centre to contribute to the evaluations. The Commission is willing to continue the full consultation of all interested parties and to inform the Parliament of the progress of these discussions early in autumn. It will not compromise with the aim of reducing injuries, but it is necessary to find the best technical solution reflecting the state of the art of current knowledge.

(1) COM(2000) 125 final.