Council resolution of 26 June 2000 on the improvement of road safety
Date: 2000-06-26
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: cooperation policy, highway code, investment, road safety

31.7.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 218/1

I

(Information)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL RESOLUTION

of 26 June 2000

on the improvement of road safety

(2000/C 218/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the general discussion on the communication
submitted by the Commission on 20 March 2000 entitled
(cid:145)Priorities in EU road safety: progress report and ranking of
actions(cid:146), welcomes the submission of the paper, which forms
part of
the second Community action programme entitled
(cid:145)Promoting Road Safety in the EU(cid:146) for the period 1997 to
2001.

(1) Points out

that

the adoption of measures to increase
transport safety is an objective of the common transport
policy, expressly embodied in the Treaty.

(5) Notes that, in attributing an economic cost to fatalities,
and to the physical and material damage caused by road
accidents, the second programme introduced an economic
dimension in the approach to road safety.

(6) Acknowledges that the costs of preventing accidents are,
in general, much less than the economic cost of accidents
and of the damage caused by them.

(7) Notes that although there is a trend towards a reduction
in the annual number of victims, a significant proportion
of whom are children and young people, the situation
continues to be socially unacceptable, obliging everyone
involved to make an active contribution to reducing the
number of victims.

(2) Considers that improving road safety should be one of
the main priorities of
transport policy, given the
unacceptable number of deaths and injuries as a result of
road accidents in Europe leading to serious physical,
mental and material harm, be it to the victims and their
families or to society as a whole.

(8) Emphasises the importance of continuing and developing
the work undertaken in the framework of administrative
agreements on the application and implementation of
joint traffic controls.

(3) Points out that improving road safety is the responsibility
of everyone,
the
national, regional and local authorities of the Member
States, the motor vehicle industry, transport companies,
associations and above all road users themselves.

is to say the European Union,

that

(4) Notes

regards

that as

there are still
significant differences between Member States and that
that is one reason for stepping up action, at Community
level as well.

road accidents

(9) Endorses the European Parliament’s view expressed in its
resolution of 11 March 1998 on the second action
programme (1) as to the need for action in accordance
with the new strategy to speed up progress regarding
road safety, by establishing, inter alia, a ranking system for
measures which need to be taken in future at Community
level.

(10) Considers that progress on the following measures is

essential:

(1) OJ C 104, 6.4.1998, p. 139.

C 218/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

31.7.2000

I.

LEGISLATIVE MEASURES

1. Amendment of Directive 91/671/EEC (1) with the aim of
extending compulsory use of seat belts to all vehicles
already fitted with this device as standard, and making it
compulsory to use type-approved child restraint systems.

2. Extension of the scope of Directive 92/6/EEC (2) on speed
limitation devices to goods or passenger vehicles weighing
over 3,5 tonnes taking into account the next evaluation
report by the Commission on the experience gained in
implementing that Directive.

3. Directive on the type-approval of vehicles with a forgiving
for the most
in particular children, pedestrians

in the event of a collision,

front design,
vulnerable road users,
and cyclists.

4. Directive on the requirement that users of motorcycles and

mopeds wear helmets.

5. Amendment of Directive 91/439/EEC (3) on driving
licences with the aim of harmonising the subcategories in
accordance with the various types of vehicles as well as
targeting better the application of the medical criteria for
driving licences.

6. Amendment of Directive 71/127/EEC (4) so as to increase
the field of lateral and rear visibility, thus reducing (cid:145)blind
spots(cid:146).

7. Measures relating to the problem of drunken driving:
influence of
recommendation for driving under
alcohol, encouraging Member States to consider, inter alia,
level of
the adoption of a maximum blood-alcohol

the

(1) Council Directive 91/671/EEC of 16 December 1991 on the
approximation of
the Member States relating to
compulsory use of safety belts in vehicles of less than 3,5 tonnes
(OJ L 373, 31.12.1991, p. 26).

the laws of

(2) Council Directive 92/6/EEC of 10 February 1992 on the
installation and use of
for certain
categories of motor vehicles in the Community (OJ L 57, 2.3.1992,
p. 27).

speed limitation devices

(3) OJ L 237, 24.8.1991, p. 1.
(4) Directive 71/127/EEC of 1 March 1971 on the approximation of
the laws of the Member States relating to the rear-view mirrors of
motor vehicles (OJ L 68, 22.3.1971, p. 1).

0,5 mg/ml
for
establishment of lower general
specific categories of drivers.

drivers, without prejudice

the
limits or lower limits for

to

II.

INVESTIGATIVE MEASURES

1. Pursuing and intensifying work under the European New
Car Assessment Programme (EURO-NCAP) with a view to
possibly including additional
in
particular, active safety and the safety of pedestrians;
assessing the results of the EURO-NCAP programme in
terms of road safety.

concerning,

criteria

2. Continuing to investigate road safety problems caused by
the behaviour of drivers under the influence of drugs and
certain medicinal products, by studying in particular the
best
and
developing methods of detection by screening which will
permit more effective control.

control practices

in the Member

States

3. Continuing investigative work aimed at establishing rules
for the application of telematic systems in vehicles, given
such
the current
the development of
systems and the need to increase knowledge of
their
effects in terms of road safety.

importance of

4. Continuing to investigate the use of advanced assisted
and
for

relating both to vehicles
considerable potential

driving
infrastructure, which has
improving road safety.

technology,

devices

5. Continuing to evaluate technology relating to speed
limitation
technical,
organisational, administrative and legal difficulties
in
to
strategy
introducing
eliminate those obstacles and promote the marketing of
such technology.

them; defining

coherent

identify

and

any

to

a

6. Continuing and developing work on the protection of car

occupants in the event of rear impact (whiplash).

7.

Investigating the scope for using devices which prevent
the engine from starting if the maximum blood-alcohol
level authorised at national level has been exceeded.

31.7.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 218/3

8. Continuing work on the installation in vehicles of devices
reminding users to wear belts with a view to developing
specifications.

5. Setting up and administering an integrated information
and
comparing,
system
disseminating statistics on all aspects of road safety in the
European Union.

interpreting

collecting,

9. Examining whether a requirement

that cyclists wear
helmets might not have negative repercussions for cycling
and assessing the problems of applying such a measure in
practice.

6. Encouraging the exchange of information at European level
on first aid for accident victims, since improving the
effectiveness of that aid is one of the factors which has
helped to reduce the number of road deaths.

10. Continuing

to look into the

and the
consequences of permanent use of dipped headlights or
special lights by vehicles for day-time driving.

advantages

7. Establishing

guidelines

of
for
information on best practice for designing (cid:145)forgiving(cid:146)
infrastructure and defining policies for eliminating black
spots, as well as for informing drivers of their existence.

dissemination

the

11. Examining the possible secondary effects of air bags’
being activated particularly in the event of a multiple
impact.

8. Promoting exchange of information on the best strategies

for awareness campaigns.

12. Studying the affects and means of possible compulsory
installation in light vehicles of adjustable devices of
speed-limit infringements, which drivers could operate.

IV.

CONCLUSION

III.

INFORMATION MEASURES

In view of the above, and with the constant aim of reducing
accidents as much as possible, the Council:

1. Promoting the dissemination of
the

campaigns
EURO-NCAP programme.

conducted

in

the results of
framework

the test
the
of

(1) supports the Commission Recommendation which aims at
encouraging Member States’ national, regional and local
authorities
expenditure on road safety
measures and to monitor their effects, in order to compare
expenditure with savings calculated on the basis of the
total cost of accidents avoided;

to calculate

2. Facilitating and reinforcing the exchange of information on
road safety, particularly by exploiting the Community
CARE (1) database, since the availability of qualitative and
quantitative information makes it possible to establish
priorities and the measures to be taken to define road
safety policies.

(2) invites the abovementioned authorities to increase their
and create new
incentives, designed to

investment
incentives,
speed up investment at all levels;

in road safety projects

in particular financial

3. Promoting

campaigns

the
consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol and
speeding.

awareness

raise

to

of

(3) encourages

the Member

the
Convention on Driving Disqualifications, signed on 17
June 1998 (2);

implement

States

to

4. Promoting campaigns to raise awareness of the importance
of the use of seat belts by vehicle users and of helmets in
the case of those using two-wheeled vehicles.

(4) invites the Member States to complete the work already
initiated under the Schengen Convention aimed at drawing
up a cooperation agreement on proceedings for road traffic
offences
financial penalties
enforcement of
and the
imposed in respect thereof.

(1) Council Decision 93/704/EC of 30 November 1993 on the
creation of a Community database on road accidents (OJ L 329,
30.12.1993, p. 63).

(2) OJ C 216, 10.7.1998, p. 2.

C 218/4

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

31.7.2000

In addition, the Council invites the Commission to:

(8) take

into

account when drafting

its next

action

(5) submit as quickly as possible the legislative proposals

referred to above;

programme:

(cid:151) this resolution;

(6) continue work on investigative and information measures;

(cid:151) any measures which could reduce

the harmful

consequences of inappropriate speed for road safety;

(7) continue,

in cooperation with the Member States, work
aimed at improving the quality of the CARE database and
harmonising the concepts used;

(cid:151) the wisdom of setting a target figure for a reduction in
the
the total number of victims on the roads of
Community.