On 14 April, Elena Kountoura (GUE/NGL, Greece) presented the EU's new medium-term road safety strategy, the so-called EU Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-2030, to the European Parliament's Transport Committee (TRAN). The draft report addresses how the EU will implement the strategy and its "Safe System" approach at EU level by ensuring safe vehicles, safe infrastructure and safe road use, and formulates recommendations.
In her presentation, Kountoura stressed that the goal of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50 per cent by 2030 can be achieved if the political will is there. She stressed the importance of reducing speed in urban areas to a maximum of 30 km/h to protect drivers and vulnerable road users. She defended a zero tolerance policy on drink-driving and called for an appropriate enforcement mechanism at EU level for cross- border offences. The rapporteur recalled that it is crucial to assess infrastructure and prioritise investments in the most vulnerable parts of the network. She strongly advocated for a future EU road safety agency that could coordinate and support Member States' efforts and collect data. In the discussion that followed, TRAN members called for road safety to be an integral part of infrastructure plans in the future via minimum safety standards and the introduction of new technologies for data exchange. The MEPs also stressed the importance of investing in early driver education and addressing the issue of road safety in light of new mobility trends.
Related Link: ▪ Draft Report: EU Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-2030
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