WRITTEN QUESTION E-3611/02

by Kathleen Van Brempt (PSE) to the Commission

(16 December 2002)

Subject: Car safety

Roll-cages, airbags, safety-belt restraint systems and electronic control systems save dozens of lives every year. However, there are drawbacks. According to the rescue services, firemen are forced to proceed very carefully in their efforts to free injured people from wrecked cars, given that sensors activating airbags and safety-belt restraint systems may be situated throughout the bodywork. This leads to delays in the freeing of accident victims. Fire brigades are urging all automobile manufacturers to provide information for each of their models detailing how airbag systems can be disabled and the sections of bodywork rescue workers should focus on when using hydraulic cutters. The rescue services would then simply have to enter the type of car involved in an accident into their computer in order to ascertain how victims can be freed most effectively. The rescue services are complaining that Volvo is the only automobile manufacturer to have responded positively to this request for information.

Is the Commission aware of the problem that it is becoming ever more difficult to free trapped accident victims quickly?

What view does the Commission take of the call made by the rescue services?

Is the Commission aware that automobile manufacturers seem reluctant to answer the question put by the rescue services?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(30 January 2003)

The Commission has not been informed of the specific problems which seem to arise during operations to free accident victims from vehicles fitted with automatic-release restraint or protection systems, such as airbags. The Commission is aware that more and more cars come fitted with such systems for the better protection of their occupants against frontal and side impacts. It should be made clear that such equipment is neither compulsory under Community legislation nor regulated by it. Logically, however, it must be recognised that in situ operations to free accident victims when such systems are fitted can pose specific risks if these are carried out without precautions being taken.

Given that the organisation of emergency services is the responsibility of the Member States and that there are huge variations between different makes of car, the Commission has always thought it preferable to leave the Member States in charge of taking the appropriate measures. It is, however, prepared to examine the whole issue, although it would like to have more detailed information on the practical problems which seem to arise during actions to free accident victims.

The Commission has no knowledge of automobile manufacturers being unwilling to provide useful information to the emergency services. As an initial response, it feels that it is up to the different national legal systems to oblige manufacturers to provide appropriate documentation and to initiate any legal proceedings. In this respect, the Commission would point out that one of the provisions of the Community legislation on end-of-life vehicles, which has been in force since April 2002(1), is that manufacturers and producers of components should provide information on dismantling vehicles placed on the market; such information could, if necessary, be made available to the emergency services.

(1) Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2000 on end-of life vehicles OJ L 269, 21.10.2000.