ETSC welcomes deal on safer EU road rules - Safety Monitor 114 - February 2019

Safety Monitor Transport safety news from ETSC ETSC welcomes deal on safer EU road rules Minimum road infrastructure safety standards will be extended to national roads across the EU in a significant boost for road safety, following a provisional deal on new legislation agreed last week. Read more... ..

MEPs back life-saving vehicle safety standards in key vote A key committee of MEPs has given the green light for a range of new mandatory vehicle safety standards that could apply to new vehicle models within three years. ETSC welcomed the result of the vote but warned that time is running out for a final deal on the legislation before European Parliamentary elections in May. Read more...   In-vehicle technology vital to tackling speeding in Europe Speeding remains a significant problem in many European countries according to new research published by ETSC.Read more...   Longer, safer lorry cabs permitted two years earlier Lorries with potentially safer and more aerodynamic cabs could be on European roads as early as next year, following an EU agreement to bring forward new rules on the maximum dimensions of heavy goods vehicles. Read more...   Updated Euro NCAP tests reveal advances in traffic sign recognition technology Euro NCAP data from 2018 show that camera-based traffic sign recognition systems have advanced and were fitted as standard equipment to nearly all new vehicle models tested in 2018. Most of these systems are now able to function under conditional circumstances such as when a lower limit applies in rainy conditions e.g. on French motorways. Read more...   UK and Sweden set for automated car trials as manufacturers more cautious on part-time automation The UK department for transport has updated its code of practice for trials of autonomous vehicles on British roads to potentially enable use of safety drivers not inside the vehicle but supervising and operating cars by remote control. Read more...   Calls for 30km/h limits in Austrian cities KFV, ETSC’s Austrian member, is calling for the doubling of penalties for traffic offences where children are involved and a default 30 km/h speed limit in cities as part of a range of recommendations to better protect children. Read more...   Young Uber drivers to get safety training in the Netherlands The app-based taxi service Uber will require its younger drivers to undertake mandatory safety training with Safe Traffic Netherlands, a road safety NGO, following a series of deaths where Uber drivers were involved. Read more...   Autobahn speed limit “would save 140 lives” Data analysis by Der Spiegel, a German news magazine and website, has concluded that a speed limit applied across all German motorways would save 140 lives a year. Read more...