The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Road Safety (PACTS) has published a paper ahead of the EU Referendum on 23 June which, without actually saying so, suggests a ‘Remain’ vote would best serve the interests of road safety.
The paper, ‘UK road safety and the EU role’, says the EU ‘plays an important role in road safety activities both at home and abroad’.
The paper highlights the scope of the work carried out by the EU, from developing and implementing EU-wide road safety strategy to the funding of road safety research and development and knowledge transfer.
It points to efforts to coordinate actions across Europe, including setting the 2050 Vision Zero/Safe System goal and subsequent interim targets to be achieved by 2020, which PACTS describes as a focus on achieving ambitious road safety results in the EU.
The paper also highlights ‘major interventions’ by the EU, focussing on improving vehicle safety standards and vehicle type approval.It also cites UK research and experience which indicates that EU action on transport safety has ‘saved many lives and prevented costly severe injury’.
In terms of figures, the paper says there has been a ‘substantial’ 54% reduction in the number of people killed on roads in EU countries since 2001, in part assisted by the establishment of EU targets and implementation of planned EU road safety activities.
The report concludes as follows: “Cross-border action on road safety is critical to efforts to prevent loss of life and permanent impairment from road traffic injury for UK and other EU citizens, both at home and abroad.
“EU action contributes daily to the safety of UK citizens in traffic, most notably in vehicle safety. Continuing progress in improving the safety quality of our transport system requires strong, active UK involvement across borders.”
Please note that this paper outlines some of the current policies and functions of the EU regarding road safety. It does not attempt to assess how these would or would not be delivered in the event of Brexit. PACTS has NOT taken a position on the Referendum – though many individual and corporate PACTS members have done so.
David Davies, London
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All cross border /cross EU /world wide activity in automotive design, type approval, new technology, road safety campaigns etc can continue as normal whether the vote is to stay or to leave. It is not a material fact to the vote.
Pat, Wales
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