Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the communication from the CommissionEuropean Road Safety Action Programme halving the number of road accident victims in the European Union by 2010: a shared responsibility
Date: 2004-02-11
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: EU Member State, accident prevention, action programme, cooperation policy, road safety

30.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 109/7

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the ‘communication from the Commission’ ‘Euro-
pean Road Safety Action Programme halving the number of road accident victims in the European
Union by 2010: a shared responsibility’

(2004/C 109/02)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

Having regard to the European Commission Communication on the European Road Safety Action
Programme (COM(2003) 311 final);

Having regard to the decision of the European Commission of 2 June 2003 to consult it on this subject,
under the first paragraph of Article 265 of the Treaty establishing the European Community;

Having regard to the decision of its Bureau of 14 May 2002 to instruct its Commission for Territorial
Cohesion Policy to draw up an opinion on this subject;

Having regard to its earlier opinion on the White Paper ‘European Transport Policy for 2010: time to
decide’ COM(2001) 370 final; CdR 54/2001 fin; (1)

Having regard to its earlier opinion on the communication from the Commission to the Council, the Euro-
pean Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Priorities in EU
Road Safety – Progress Report and Ranking of Actions COM(2000) 125 final; CdR 166/2000 fin; (2)

Having regard to its draft opinion (CdR 184/2003 rev.2) adopted on 3 December 2003 by the Commission
for Territorial Cohesion Policy (rapporteur: Cllr. Royston Brady (Member of the Dublin Regional Authority)
(IE/EA)).

Whereas:

1)

2)

3)

4)

road safety directly affects all the territory of the European Union and all its inhabitants. The finan-
cial cost of the 1.3 million accidents leading to 40,000 deaths and 1.7 m. injuries has been esti-
mated at EUR 160 b. while the personal tragedies are incalculable;

the Treaty on European Union makes an explicit requirement that the Common Transport Policy
should include measures to promote road safety;

the achievement of objectives under the Common Transport Policy and the European Road Safety
Action Programme are shared competences with important roles for local and regional authorities;

the Commission has proposed that the EU should set itself the target of halving the number of road
deaths by 2010.

adopted the following opinion unanimously at its 53rd plenary session, held on 11 and 12 February 2004
(meeting of 11 February):

1. The Committee of the Regions' views

The Committee of the Regions welcomes the Communi-
1.1
cation and Action Programme as an important contribution to
the ongoing efforts to enhance and promote road safety.

declined by 50 % over the past 30 years, the target of achieving
a further reduction of 50 % by 2010 may be considered overly
ambitious especially when considered in the context of the
measures outlined in the Action Programme. Given the wide
variation in road death and accident rates across the EU, it is
also important that the targeted reduction is achieved in the
Member States, bearing in mind especially a country's road
accident rate and its track record in road safety, and that it is
achieved for all road users and not just motorists.

1.2
The Committee endorses the objective of halving the
number of road deaths by 2010 and welcomes the Council's
endorsement of the objective. As the Communication points
out, the objective is a serious collective undertaking involving
responsibilities and actions at all levels of public authority. The
setting of targets, the allocation of responsibilities and the inte-
grated nature of
the planning are key components for its
success. However, the Committee believes that further consid-
eration needs to be given to the target that has been set for the
Action Programme. Given that the number of road deaths has

(1) OJ C 192, 12.8.2002, p.8
(2) OJ C 22, 24.1.2001, p.25

1.3
Although the number of deaths and injuries suffered
due to road crashes has been falling the Committee emphasises
that there is no room for complacency as the situation on the
Union's roads is still unacceptable.

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Official Journal of the European Union

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1.4
The Committee stresses that the rights of individual road
users must not supersede the right to safety and security of the
general community.

available to local and regional authorities to implement targeted
road safety programmes. Road safety considerations should
also be an eligibility criterion for transportation infrastructure
funded through the Structural Funds.

1.5
The success of the Action Programme will require the
commitment of effort and resources by all stakeholders and the
Committee of the Regions welcomes the recognition by the
Commission of the key role of local and regional authorities.
The Committee is also pleased that many recommendations
advanced in its Opinion - Priorities in EU Road Safety -
Progress Report and Ranking of Actions have been adopted by
the Commission (3).

The Committee contends that action at Community
1.6
level is especially important when dealing with rapidly-evolving
technology and multi-national companies who operate in
global markets, thus the Committee is open to the application
of the Open Method of Co-ordination to certain aspects of
improving road safety throughout the Union.

1.7
It is accepted that the failure of road users to comply
with basic road safety legislation, particularly in relation to
speeding, drink driving and non–use of personal safety devices
is the main cause of serious accidents. The Committee under-
lines that particular emphasis must be placed on the implemen-
tation and enforcement of existing legislation in Member States.

1.8
The Committee welcomes the Road Safety Charter and
seeks that it be actively promoted. It considers that the CoR
could be a channel to further promote the Charter among the
local and regional authorities throughout the EU and would
encourage particular efforts to promote the Charter in the
Accession States.

The Committee of the Regions welcomes the proposal
1.9
for a European Road Safety Observatory as authoritative and
comparable statistical data, particularly on the causes of acci-
dents, are necessary to develop further targeted measures to
make road transport safer.

1.10
The Committee encourages the development of tech-
nology such as standardised recording devices (black boxes)
that could be fitted to road vehicles. Such devices if widely
used could have a dramatic impact on driver behaviour and
could also greatly alleviate much of the costs of enforcing
safety legislation.

1.11 Within the bounds of existing Community policies, the
Committee requests that fiscal incentives be provided for the
development and application of safety-focused features for
vehicles. The Committee emphasises however, that the develop-
ment of safety features for vehicles and their occupants must
not be at the expense of other road users who are already more
vulnerable.

1.12
The communication notes that the European Union
has the ‘financial means’ to support road safety initiatives. The
Committee of the Regions underlines that such means be made

(3) OJ C 22, 24.1.2001, p.25

The Committee considers that

1.13
the Communication
could have further addressed the perspective of, and issues
relating to the safety of non-driving road users i.e. pedestrians
and cyclists. The paucity of consideration traditionally given to
such road-users has resulted in too many accidents on EU
roads. The Committee is concerned that the proposed Road
Safety Action Programme may reinforce this traditional bias.

2. The Committee of the Regions' recommendations

2.1
The Committee of the Regions considers that further
consideration should be given to the target that is proposed for
the Action Programme. This might
include specifying sub-
targets for individual Member States and for different categories
of road users, as there are large differences in road safety
within the EU. The targets set must also be realistic and
provide incentives for countries with a proven track record in
road safety. Sub-targets should be set in collaboration with
Member States and local and regional authorities.

2.2
The Committee welcomes the current Commission -
Red Cross campaign for children. The Committee underlines
the importance of developing safe driving and road-use beha-
viour for young drivers and road users and in this regard the
Committee would welcome proposals for an EU-wide Road
Sense and Safe Driving Programme sponsored by the Commis-
sion aimed at secondary level students, possibly in conjunction
with the YOUTH programme. The Committee suggests that
local and regional authorities would be willing and able part-
ners in helping to establish and implement such a programme.

The Committee seeks that greater consideration be given
2.3
to the role of local and regional authorities in supplementing
traffic law enforcement,
in close co-operation with police
forces, as this could greatly assist capacity towards the enforce-
ment of existing legislation However, legislation must not be
used to make additional duties compulsory; rather they should
be voluntary and focus mainly on local road safety issues.

2.4
The Committee welcomes the proposal to support the
development of EuroNCAP to incorporate other passive safety
aspects such as whiplash protection and the compatibility of
vehicles in the event of car-on-car
the
Committee considers that pedestrian accident severity risk
assessment
standard in the
should be
EuroNCAP assessment programme.

impact. However,

incorporated as

The Committee of

the Regions considers

2.5
the
competent authorities must treat road safety as a prerequisite,
in the design and planning of infrastructural road projects,
through for instance, consultation with those responsible for
road safety, for example, the police.

that

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C 109/9

2.6
The Committee recognises the potential contribution of
improvements in road infrastructure in reducing the serious-
ness and frequency of
road accidents. While the Action
Programme sets out measures in relation to new roads infra-
structure, the Committee would welcome initiatives for traffic
management/road safety initiatives for application to existing
roads, including urban areas. For example, general application
of overtaking bans for heavy goods vehicles should be consid-
ered on high-risk sections of road.

2.7
The Committee suggests that the remit of the European
Road Safety Observatory could be expanded to facilitate the
collation of best practice gained in road safety enforcement and
its dissemination to other practitioners. The role of the Obser-
vatory might also be extended to collect comparative data in all
Member States on compliance rates with traffic/safety require-
ments and the probabilities of enforcement action being taken.
The publication of this data, collected on a consistent basis,
should provide an incentive for Member States to improve
their performance in these areas.

The Committee would welcome greater consideration of
2.8
the impacts of road accidents suffered by road crash victims
and their families/dependants with a view towards establishing
best practice relating to the provision of
information and
support to crash victims and their dependants. This may be a
further task that could be developed by the Road Safety Obser-
vatory.

2.9
As the EU body representing local and regional levels of
government, key partners in implementing the Road Safety
Action Programme, the Committee seeks to be represented on
the monitoring group established to review its progress.

2.10
The proposal to encourage the establishment of an
information network between the national licence authorities is
welcome. The Committee would also encourage consideration
of some system whereby the fines outstanding from road traffic
offences committed by EU citizens in a Member State where
they are not resident be recovered.

2.11
to road
The Committee reiterates its commitment
safety by advocating improvement of methods to deter people
driving without a licence or without insurance. Too many acci-
dents happen when drivers fail to comply with licence or insur-
ance obligations. Making roads safer means making drivers
more accountable for the dangers they create, and also more
accountable for fulfilling their obligations.

The Committee notes that Europe is an open space
2.12
whose citizens are free to come and go as they please. Measures
to reduce road accidents should not stop at borders. It is there-
fore necessary to step up international cooperation so that
penalties imposed for road crimes and offences committed are
really applied in the territory of a Member State to European
and third-country nationals.

Brussels, 11 February 2004

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Peter STRAUB