 |
 |
European Parliament legislates to protect pedestrians
July 3, 2003 12:00 AM
New cars will have to pass safety tests designed to protect pedestrians from death or serious injury, as MEPs have agreed a new EU Directive on pedestrian safety today.
The tests will involve simulating the collision of the human body with different parts of the front of a car at speeds of up to 40 kph, and are due to be phased in over a period of ten years. By 2015, every single car on European roads will have to comply with the safety requirements imposed by the tests. The European Commission proposed this new directive earlier this year, under pressure from the European Parliament.
London's Liberal Democrat Euro-MP Baroness Sarah Ludford commented:
"We must use all instruments at our disposal to improve pedestrian safety in Europe. Big improvements must also be made in drivers' behaviour, but accidents will still happen. So the car industry has to continue to improve the way that car exteriors are designed, in order to reduce pedestrian injuries in a car accident."
Safety groups have expressed fears that, under pressure from the car industry, the Commission may seek to water down the proposal by introducing measures such as active breaking and external sensors as an alternative to better car front design. But many have also expressed reservations regarding the accuracy of the tests proposed.
In an effort to address these concerns, Liberal Democrats proposed a procedure which will allow the tests to be speedily updated in the light of technical progress. They have also successfully insisted that other accident prevention measures can only be a partial alternative to car front testing, and must be agreed by the European Parliament and European Transport Ministers.
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats