WRITTEN QUESTION P-2158/00 by Jan Wiersma (PSE) to the Commission. Pedestrian protection ‐ vehicle design.
Date: 2000-06-22
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU law, European standard, motor car, motor vehicle industry, pedestrian, product design, road safety, testing, two-wheeled vehicle

13.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 81 E/149

(2001/C 81 E/184)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2155/00

by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission

(22 June 2000)

Subject: Legislation on safer car fronts for pedestrians and cyclists

There are 9 300 pedestrian and cyclist deaths each year in the European Union, and the Commission(cid:146)s road
safety communication refers to a legislative proposal on safer car fronts for pedestrians and cyclists as one
of its six cost-effective priorities for action. Given that every month of delay in making new car designs
pass the four EEVC pedestrian crash tests means the loss of around 200 lives, mainly involving children
and older road users, will the Commission introduce such legislation without further delay to give EU
citizens the protection the need?

(2001/C 81 E/185)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2156/00

by Claude Moraes (PSE) to the Commission

(22 June 2000)

Subject: Take-up of EEVC pedestrian tests in EU Whole Vehicle Type-Approval

Does the Commission agree with most independent experts that the four EEVC pedestrian tests, which are
the fruits of the 22-year-old EU research and development programme carried out by national research
laboratories with observers from the car industry, represent the state of the art in making the ordinary
fronts of cars less dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists on impact?

(2001/C 81 E/186)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2157/00

by Caroline Lucas (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(22 June 2000)

Subject: Introduction of EU Whole Vehicle Type-Approval legislation on safer car fronts for pedestrians

and cyclists

For some years, the European Union has looked to the European Experimental Vehicles Committee (EEVC),
which brings together national research laboratories on behalf of Member States and observers from the
car industry, to formulate crash tests to improve vehicle safety design. EEVC devised the front and side
impact tests now used in legislation and, in 1993, four sub-system tests for safer car fronts for pedestrians
and cyclists. Given that the Commission indicated that it would not act until it had received the latest
revision of the EEVC tests, which it did in February 1999, why is it taking so long to implement the
Commission(cid:146)s commitment to submit a new proposal for legislation?

(2001/C 81 E/187)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2158/00

by Jan Wiersma (PSE) to the Commission

(22 June 2000)

Subject: Pedestrian protection (cid:129) vehicle design

Since 1996, the European New Car Assessment programme has been testing new cars using four EEVC
sub-system tests to assess crash protection for pedestrians hit by the fronts of cars. The results have shown

C 81 E/150

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.3.2001

that the car industry is not providing this protection voluntarily and that legislation is necessary. When
will the Commission introduce comprehensive legislation based on the latest EEVC tests to ensure that new
car designs provide safer car fronts for pedestrians and cyclists?

(2001/C 81 E/188)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2239/00

by Peter Skinner (PSE) to the Commission

(5 July 2000)

Subject: EU legislative action on safer car designs for pedestrians and cyclists

Some 9 300 pedestrians and cyclists die on EU roads, the majority following impact with the fronts of cars
in urban and residential areas. It is estimated that EU legislation requiring new car designs to provide safer
car fronts could save around 2 000 lives and prevent 19 000 serious injuries every year, benefiting citizens
in every Member State and with most casualty figures reduced in Germany, Spain, Italy, France and the
UK. The UK estimates in its new road safety strategy that the measure could produce a 20 % reduction in
pedestrian deaths and serious injuries. When is the proposal envisaged in the Commission(cid:146)s road safety
communication to be expected?

(2001/C 81 E/189)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2385/00

by Dieter-Lebrecht Koch (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 July 2000)

Subject: Council of Ministers resolution on road safety (cid:129) vehicle design for pedestrian protection

In its road safety resolution agreed on 26 June, the Transport Council urged the Commission to introduce,
as quickly as possible, legislation on safer car fronts to protect pedestrians and cyclists in crashes. Will the
Commission now come forward with this legislative proposal to require the tests, which have been devised
in the EU(cid:146)s 22 year research and development programme and used in the EU-supported European New
Car Assessment Programme, since 1996, to be used on all new designs of car?

(2001/C 81 E/190)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2410/00

by Elspeth Attwooll (ELDR) to the Commission

(18 July 2000)

Subject: Pedestrian protection

The Commission(cid:146)s road safety communication issued in March confirmed the Commission(cid:146)s intention, as
first expressed by the previous Commission, to come forward with a legislative proposal on safer car
fronts.

In view of the large scope for preventing deaths and serious injuries to pedestrians and cyclists through the
introduction of this measure (2 000 deaths and 19 000 serious injuries annually across the EU (cid:129) higher
than for any other legislative measure currently on the EU agenda), will the Commission confirm that it
will come forward with a legislative proposal in the very near future?