Toespraak van Antonio Tajani over het belang van verkeersveiligheid(en)
Antonio Tajani
Commissioner responsible for Transport
Road safety
3ème conférence interparlementaire sur la sécurité routière en Europe
Parlement portugais, Lisbonne, 29 septembre 2008
SPEECH/08/470
Antonio Tajani
Commissioner responsible for Transport
Road safety
3ème conférence interparlementaire sur la sécurité routière en Europe
Parlement portugais, Lisbonne, 29 septembre 2008
In 2007, some 43 000 persons died on EU roads. This is unacceptable!
Road safety is a subject close to millions of European citizens. Think of the pain and suffering for all these lives lost, think of those who survive, but remain crippled or paralysed for life; think of the economic loss for our societies.
Road safety is also a matter for Community policy, a challenging and endless fight. The European Commission has set up a collective EU target for 2010, which is, reducing by 50% the number of fatalities since 2001. This is a political and global commitment, and each Country should put road safety very high on their political agenda. Some countries have made substantial progress, some others have not. More effort is necessary to improve the situation.
How does Portugal compare with other EU Member States and with the EU average?
974 persons died on Portuguese roads in 2007, versus 1670 in 2001 and 3217 in 1991. This means approximately 92 killed per million population, while the EU average is 86.
Since 2001, Portugal has made the fastest progress among European Countries: a 42% reduction of fatalities while the EU global score is - 21%. However, it should not be concluded that now, everything is excellent. The Portuguese score now is a bit above the EU average, and therefore there is still room for further improvement!
What are the main characteristics of road safety and of a road safety policy?
Road un-safety is a major problem for the society, not just a component of the transport system. Its damages are devastating, from the human and economic points of view: some 2% of Gross domestic product.
Road safety is a shared responsibility. This means that many categories of stakeholders, and of course all road users themselves, have a special duty. This is true for the European Commission as well, because it can provide added value in many respects. This is also true for the private sector, even when their activity has no direct link with road transport. In a nutshell, Governments, local authorities, private users, road hauliers, the automotive industry, must co-operate.
All the stakeholders, and in particular the public authorities, must implement an integrated approach since road safety lies on three pillars: the vehicle, the infrastructure, and (last but not least), the behaviour of users.
The European Commission is combining all existing EU instruments: financial support to projects, research and studies, legislation (only when necessary). There are also new instruments: road accident data and information (the European Road Safety Observatory), collecting and publishing best practices, the Road Safety Charter.
Overview of the European action
As for the vehicle, it is worth mentioning the fantastic progress that the automotive industry has achieved over a few years. Cars, trucks and coaches are safer and safer. The European level has played its role, either by stimulating the public demand for safer vehicles (a safety rating system called EURO-NCAP) or through a coherent set of mandatory technical requirements. Let me give some recent examples: conspicuity of new trucks with retro-reflecting strips; blind spot mirrors for all trucks; fitment of seat belts in new coaches; and in a few years, fitment of all new vehicles with electronic stability control devices.
As for the infrastructure, the Commission has proposed a coherent and comprehensive system for impact assessment, audits and inspections so that all European roads may become safer and safer. The European Legislator (i.e. the European Parliament and the Council together) have recently reached an agreement on this new legislation. This is the first time that the European level addresses the safety of road infrastructure so broadly.
Improving the behaviour of road users is the topic with the highest potential for saving lives, with almost immediate results. It should be repeated that speeding, drink driving and the non-wearing of seat belts are involved in three fatalities out of four.
Many initiatives can be taken to improve the behaviour of users. Indeed, the most efficient action in the short term is a combination of campaigns, enforcement and stricter rules.
Campaigns can take several forms, and the European Commission has given a financial support to some major pan-European campaigns, such as the so called "Euro-BOB" which has been successfully implemented in almost twenty countries. The principle is simple: at a party, the one who drives is the one who does not drink. Let me mention also the campaigns for children, implemented by the Red Cross. The European Commission is also giving a financial support to another research project (“CAST”) which will soon provide a manual about the preparation, the implementation and the evaluation of road safety campaigns.
Enforcement is a top priority, in particular in bad-performing Countries. It must also be equally applied to all offenders, whatever their origin – even out of their country of residence. This is why the Commission has just adopted a proposal for the so-called "cross border enforcement".
Moreover, we are progressing well towards THE European driving licence. One of the recent modifications, thanks to a Directive in 2006, provides for a progressive access to the bigger motorbikes, and also for a driving licence for moped drivers. In the same topic, professional drivers are now subject to an initial qualification and regular training.
More initiatives are to come in the field of behaviour. Let me mention the very important research project (“DRUID”) which will give a robust scientific background about impairment due to alcohol, legal and illegal drugs and their combinations.
The European Road Safety Observatory is basically a public web site managed by the Commission. Its aim is to gather, analyse and publish scientific information on the subject. It already includes an impressive series of data and statistic, as well as several manuals and best practice guidelines. This should be a valuable support for Governments and other stakeholders.
Another European initiative, and probably the most original one, is the European Road Safety Charter, which is a great achievement. It has been launched more than four years ago and it has so far attracted more than one thousand commitments. Some are modest, some are huge, but each of them is proportionate to the capacity of the signatory to do something concrete and realistic – beyond its duty. On 12th November in Brussels, we will organise an award ceremony for the signatories which have made the best commitments in 2007.
The Commission is also organising major events, such as the European road safety days. The first one happened in April 2007 with a focus on young drivers. One of its results was the setting up of a road safety Youth Forum, which met for the first time on 10th July in Brussels; there were two delegates from a Youth association in each Country. The second European road safety day will be organised on 13th October in Paris, with a focus on accidents in cities.
Does road safety mean "Big Brother"?
Road safety is a core issue for the society, not just a component in the transport system. Only in the European Union, the lack of road safety has a very high cost for society: about 2% of GDP.
Therefore, implementing counter measures is a duty for Governments. Many did so, sometimes since the mid-60es, and sometimes with success. Counter measures mean numerous, sharply focused rules. How to ensure their being followed by millions of participants in the transport system, everywhere and at any time? Frankly speaking, there is no alternative to extensive police control, and later on, no alternative to automatic systems for enforcement.
However, when counter measures came into force, people started to grumble:
Why should I reduce my drinking? (during the 60es); Why should I reduce my speed? (during the 70es); Why should I fasten a seat belt? (during the 80es)
Is it reasonable to check the blood alcohol content of drivers by millions? Is it reasonable to post speed cameras by thousands? Is it reasonable to perform speed controls by hundreds of millions?
Eventually, a concluding comment: all that is against individual freedom! (at any time)
The question is: aren't we moving towards "Big Brother" for the sake of road safety? This issue deserves thinking. Let me answer by quoting some principles that it is worth reminding:
The limit to freedom is when it meets others’ freedom and well being.
Dangerous drivers are harmful for the whole society, not just for themselves. All citizens must be protected from the hazardous behaviour of some of them. “Hazardous” means dangerous, sometimes lethal.
Rules must be reasonable, commonly agreed (people must be convinced of their usefulness) and widely respected; once they have been agreed upon through a democratic process, they must be properly enforced: nothing is more democratic than ensuring that each and every citizen follows the democratic rules.
Traffic rules and their enforcement save many lives and reduce the number of severe injuries.
Thus, road safety is not "Big Brother". Just a matter of freedom, human welfare and public health.
Concluding remarks - about the near future ...
The EU has made significant progress, although insufficient – and, unfortunately, not in all Countries. Again, road safety is an all-instants fight. The action will still go on, as long as people are dying on roads, because even one fatality is one too many. We all must continue fighting to improve the situation, the Commission and the Member States in full co-operation. It is also the duty of national Parliaments to accelerate the momentum in Countries where the situation is not satisfactory.
To this end, I will propose next year a new European road safety action programme for the period 2011-2020. I expect a lot of public discussions at all possible levels in order to raise ideas and to stimulate action.