Modified cross-border enforcement proposal expected
A revised proposal to enable EU member states to enforce traffic penalties for offences committed by foreign motorists, such as speeding, is expected to be published by the European Commission later this month.
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Safer lorries, eCall and cross-border enforcement on Italian presidency agenda
The European Union will need to make progress on three important pieces of road safety legislation during the Italian presidency of the European Union which runs from July to December. ETSC has outlined its key priorities for the Italian presidency, along with an analysis of Italy’s own road safety record, in a briefing published last month. See
ETSC briefing
Transport ministers hold back progress on lorry safety
EU member states have dealt a blow to plans to allow lorry makers to sell safer vehicles. Transport ministers meeting last month agreed that proposals to enable, not require, manufacturers to make changes that improve visibility and reduce the impact of crashes on other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists should be subject to an eight-year delay. See
press release
Managing road risk helps the bottom line
ETSC's latest report gives an overview of the business case for employers to invest in a Work-Related Road Risk Management (WRRRM) programme. It finds that the financial benefits of such a programme could outweigh the costs of implementation. The other benefits such as increasing efficiency in organisational management and administration are also detailed. See
report (in English and Spanish) and
case study of Iron Mountain
New EU studies back future role for alcohol interlocks
Two new reports are supportive of further measures to boost the use of alcohol interlocks in passenger and goods vehicles in the EU but stop short of recommending measures that would mandate mass adoption in the short term due mainly to cost concerns. ETSC says this approach is short-sighted because mandatory use for some categories of drivers and vehicles would drive innovation, bring down costs and save many more lives.
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UK road safety progress ‘lamentable’
ETSC’s UK member, the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), has said the UK’s recent progress on road safety is ‘lamentable’ and the Government is failing to ensure Britain remains a world leader on the issue.
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eCall delayed until 2017
The European Parliament and EU member states have agreed on a law requiring national authorities to set up the infrastructure to handle automated emergency calls from cars. But the EU institutions still need to do a deal on a parallel piece of legislation that will require new cars to be fitted with the necessary equipment.
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Increase in German motorway deaths
Deaths on motorways increased by 10.6% last year in Germany while the overall figure went down, according to new figures.
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Rise of budget cars could create ‘two tier’ market for safety – Euro NCAP
Euro NCAP has warned that the budget car trend being driven by Europe’s economic stagnation could lead to a ‘two-tier’ market for road safety in Europe as the latest technologies are made available only on top-spec or premium models.
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Slovenia sets 2022 road safety target
Slovenia aims to cut road mortality to 35 deaths per million inhabitants by 2022, according to the government’s recently published road safety programme for the period 2013-2022.
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Advice on running a road safety week offered
Brake, the UK road safety charity, is launching a global website for anyone interested in organising a Road Safety Week or similar event in their country.
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Milan congestion charge cuts crashes
The number of road crashes with injuries in the Italian city of Milan has fallen by 26.3% since a road pricing scheme was introduced in January 2012.
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Cinema audience woken up to dangers of texting and driving
Cinemagoers in Hong Kong were given a shocking reminder of how easy it is to get distracted at the wheel thanks to a clever viral awareness campaign that has been viewed more than 1 million times on YouTube.
Watch the video