WRITTEN QUESTION E-0257/96 by Paul Lannoye (V) to the Commission (9 February 1996)

Subject: Safety of young children in cars

Despite real efforts by the Member States to reduce death rates among car passengers, there is one age group, namely small children, which almost always seems to escape all the laws, rules and technical measures aimed at improving safety.

However, where the use of restraint systems suitable for the age and size of small children is required by law it has been a decisive factor in increasing safety, provided various conditions for the approval of 'shells', child seats and booster seats are met.

Council Directive 91/671/EEC of 16 December 1991 ((OJ L 373, 31.12.1991, p. 26.)) on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to compulsory use of safety belts in vehicles of less than 3.5 tonnes requires that 'Member States shall ensure that children under 12 years of age and who are less than 150 cm tall, travelling in such vehicles and occupying belted seats, are restrained by an approved restraint system suitable for the child's height and weight.' (Article 2).

Can the Commission say:

1. how many Member States have so far aligned their laws with this provision and have informed the Commission thereof in accordance with Article 8(1) and (3)?

2. What conclusions it draws from the comparative studies carried out on child seats which pinpoint three shortcomings, namely the difficulty of installing them, the fact that they are not suitable for all types of vehicle and the fact that they are not strong enough?

3. Whether it considers that the standards adopted under the ISOFIX system are sufficient to eliminate these three problems?

4. How soon it plans, in the light of the above points, to incorporate the recently revised UN regulation UN-ECE 44.03 into Community legislation?

5. Whether it is also working on new legislation to make it compulsory to label the front of the passenger area with a warning of the risk of fatal injuriy in using child seats facing away from the road if the passenger seat is equipped with an air bag?

Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission (2 April 1996)

1. Under Directive 91/671/EEC ((OJ No L 373, 31.12.1991. )) on the compulsory wearing of safety belts in vehicles weighing less than 3.5 tonnes, all of the Member States, apart from Belgium, have incorporated provisions into their national laws concerning the safety of young children in cars. The corresponding draft, produced by this latter Member State, on which the Commission has delivered a favourable opinion, is currently under examination by the Council of State for its opinion. In this case it is the final stage before the publication of the requirements at issue.

The Commission is not aware of the study to which the Honourable Member refers. However, the alleged shortcomings with certain types of child seat would be overcome if all such seats were to comply with United Nations' economic commission for Europe (UNECE) Regulation 44, and especially the recent 03 series of amendments (R 44.03). Whilst not yet reflected in Community legislation, many Member States have adopted Regulation 44 for the purposes of national legislation.

2. The Isofix system will probably make the installation of child seats in cars more convenient but without necessarily improving safety in comparison with a correctly installed seat conforming to R44.03. Nevertheless, the Commission is considering an amendment to the existing directive on anchorages (76/115/EEC ((OJ No L 24, 30.1.1976. ))) to facilitate the inclusion of the appropriate mountings in all new vehicle types in the future.

Later this year the Commission plans to introduce a proposal to include the provisions of Regulation 44 in respect of both integral and separate child restraint systems, into a relevant directive.

3. The Commission expects to adopt an amendment to the current seat belt directive (77/541/EEC ((OJ No L 220, 29.8.1977. ))) in the very near future which will require the fitting of a warning label in all new vehicles fitted with a passenger-side airbag.