New EU vehicle safety standards could prevent 25,000 deaths within 15 years

In a long-awaited and very significant announcement today the European Commission set a new EU target to halve road deaths, and for the first time, serious injuries in the decade to 2030. Importantly the Commission has also proposed a package of new vehicle safety standards that could, by themselves, prevent more than 2000 deaths every year by 2032, ten years after the measures come into force.

Antonio Avenoso, Executive Director of ETSC, said:

“Taken together, today’s announcements could represent the biggest step forward in road safety in Europe since the introduction of the seat belt. Road traffic injury is still the number one killer of young people across the continent so these essential measures cannot come soon enough.

“Today’s announcements alone will not make the difference; it is absolutely crucial that EU Member States and the European Parliament give their backing to the plans and that they do not give in to pressure from car manufacturers, who are already attempting to weaken parts of the vehicle safety proposal.”

The EU published four road safety measures today as part of its so-called third mobility package, they include:

• an overall outline of the road safety strategy for the decade to 2030
• new vehicle safety standards
• updated rules on road infrastructure safety management
• a strategy for automated driving