Brussels, 29 September 2009

The FIA Eurocouncil expects a new ambitious programme to come out of the consultation process on the European Road Safety Action Programme

In its answer to the consultation the FIA Eurocouncil will underline the need to have high level commitment, strong leadership, clear objectives and precise targets.

Over the past decade high level commitments towards road safety made by both the European Union and national governments have paid off in making European roads safer. In eight years Europe has reduced its fatalities by more than a quarter and its injuries by around a tenth, this while overall traffic by road has increased by a quarter.

“Europe has come a long way in reducing road deaths. This effort has to be pursued and strengthened where needed” declared Werner Kraus, chairman of the FIA Eurocouncil.

The fight for road safety must continue to be persistent and unremitting. The fact that 40,000 European citizens die annually on the road must remain on the top of the European agenda. Moreover the significant improvements that have been recorded are not equally distributed over the European Union. The gap between East and West needs to be closed.

While the FIA Eurocouncil will keep stressing the importance of the safe systems approach, where human behaviour, car technology and infrastructure are addressed, it sees a considerable potential to lie in particular in the improvement of the infrastructure. Infrastructural measures can prevent up to a third of Europe’s serious injuries or fatalities on the roads in the next ten years. A European-wide safe road infrastructure programme to make safe road design a national priority is just one of the demands that FIA clubs in Europe will make. The FIA will also insist on the need to start traffic safety education from the youngest age.

Notes for the Editors

The Eurocouncil of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), Europe’s leading motoring organisation, represents via its 71 affiliated members, national motoring and touring organisations 35 million motorists in 47 European countries. Europe’s motoring and touring organisations hold road safety as one of their highest priorities in order to make mobility more sustainable and reliable, while keeping it affordable for all.

In the anticipation of the renewal of the EU road safety action programme the FIA Eurocouncil issued the Copenhagen Declaration stating the beliefs and demands of the members of the FIA Eurocouncil on the current status quo of Road safety in Europe. The document was handed over to Isabelle Kardacz, Head of the European Commission Road Safety Unit at the FIA Eurocouncil plenary assembly in June.

For more information please contact Sinziana Gille, +32 2 282 08 16

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