European Union transport ministers have formally agreed today to
set a target of halving the number of serious injuries on roads
in the EU by 2030 from their 2020 level. This is in addition to
the existing target to halve the number of road deaths
on EU roads by 2020 from the
2010 baseline [1].
Responding to the news, Mary Williams, CEO for
Brake, the road safety charity, said: "We warmly
welcome today's EU announcement, which will help focus efforts
across Europe to reduce needless road deaths and injuries.
Targets are essential. They focus governments' minds on the
crisis, and the need for urgent steps to be taken by them to save
lives. All governments should focus on measures that drive
towards zero casualties through a safe systems approach. We
particularly call for measures that protect pedestrians and
cyclists such as segregated road space, 20mph (30km/h) limits and
vehicle design improvements, such as ISA (which restricts speed
of vehicles below limits) and advanced automated emergency
braking systems (currently under consideration by the EU).
"It's a disgrace that there are currently no GB targets for
casualty reduction. Brake applauds Highways England for setting
its own target of a 40% reduction in the numbers of people killed
and serious injured on the Strategic Road Network. We are calling
for a GB target to be set as an urgent priority for the incoming
UK government."
The Sustainable Development Goals call for a
reduction of half deaths and injuries by 2020 worldwide.
[1] EU press release: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/06/08-tte-serious-injuries-road/?utm_source=ETSC&utm_campaign=112cefa453-20170608_serious_injury_target_council&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3a7b55edbf-112cefa453-301916645
