WRITTEN QUESTION P-2493/00 by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission. Industry proposals on pedestrian protection design in vehicles.
Date: 2000-07-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: 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/151

(2001/C 81 E/191)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2462/00

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(24 July 2000)

Subject: Cutting the number of deaths on the roads through rapid action making it compulsory to improve

the safety of the front of cars

Is the Commission aware that the development and rapid spread of private cars has a far-reaching
1.
impact on the safety of more vulnerable road users, in particular cyclists and pedestrians, of whom 9 300
are killed every year in the Member States of the European Union and many more are injured?

Can the Commission confirm that it is expected that making the fronts of cars safer can prevent

2.
2 000 deaths per annum and 19 000 personal injuries?

3.
Can the Commission also confirm that the member of the Commission responsible for industrial
policy promised to submit, in Spring 2000, a new draft proposal for protecting pedestrians by making the
fronts of cars safer and that on 27 June the Council asked the Commission, as a matter of urgency, to
produce a legislative proposal on these lines as soon as possible?

In view of the delays which have now occurred in preparing this document, can the Commission
4.
indicate when the proposed text will be considered by Parliament, and is the Commission prepared to
choose the earliest possible date for this to prevent people being the unnecessary victims of delay?

(2001/C 81 E/192)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2482/00

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Legislation on safer car fronts for pedestrians and cyclists

(13 July 2000)

In March, the Commission(cid:146)s road safety communication stated its intention to introduce EU legislation on
safer car fronts for pedestrians and cyclists as one of six cost-effective priority actions on road safety
following a 22-year EU-funded research and development programme to develop four tests. This measure
topped the priority list of the European Parliament in its last road safety opinion. On 26 June, the Council
of Ministers supported this initiative and called upon the Commission to introduce the legislative proposals
set out therein as quickly as possible.

Given that every month of delay means a missed opportunity to save 175 lives across the EU every month,
and 140 Greeks per year, will the Commissioner now bring forward, without further delay, a proposal to
introduce the four tests which are needed to provide a high level of protection in car-to-pedestrian
crashes?

(2001/C 81 E/193)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2493/00

by Mark Watts (PSE) to the Commission

(24 July 2000)

Subject: Industry proposals on pedestrian protection design in vehicles

Will the Commission confirm that, despite the car industry(cid:146)s active participation as observers in the
22 year-old European Enhanced Safety of Vehicles Committee (EEVC) research and development pro-

C 81 E/152

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.3.2001

gramme, it has recently received proposals from the European Car Industry Association for safer car fronts
for pedestrians and cyclists which, at technical level, severely weaken the levels of protection which would
be provided by the four EEVC tests and could lead to more hazardous car design, in the opinion of
independent experts?

(2001/C 81 E/194)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2503/00

by Ari Vatanen (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(24 July 2000)

Subject: Using vehicle design to protect pedestrians injured in car crashes

Since 1996, results of the pedestrian tests in the European New Car Assessment Programme reveal that car
design has done little to protect pedestrians, although protection for car occupants in car crashes has
improved. A proposal was promised in the Commission(cid:146)s recent Road Safety Communication and was
supported by the Transport Council in their road safety resolution of 26 June 2000.

When will the Commission submit a proposal for the adoption of requisite tests which could prevent
2 000 deaths and 19 000 serious injuries every year?

(2001/C 81 E/195)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2579/00

by Ewa Hedkvist Petersen (PSE) to the Commission

(25 July 2000)

Subject: Legislation on safer car fronts to protect pedestrians and cyclists

In its communication on road safety of March this year, the Commission announced its intention of
introducing legislation in the EU for safer car fronts to protect pedestrians and cyclists as one of six cost-
effective priority measures.

This measure was the first on Parliament(cid:146)s list of priorities in its latest pronouncement on road safety. On
26 June 2000, the Council of Transport Ministers backed this initiative and urged the Commission to draw
up a proposal for legislation as soon as possible.

Given that every month(cid:146)s delay represents a lost opportunity to save 175 lives across the EU, will the
Commission now, without further delay, draw up a proposal which includes the four tests required to
obtain a high level of protection for pedestrians involved in collisions with cars?

(2001/C 81 E/196)

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(cid:146)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.