ETSC puts spotlight on road safety for new mandate in 'I will be a life-saver' campaign
As the newly appointed decision-makers in the European Parliament and Commission get ready for work, the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) is calling on them to keep the EU road safety commitments high on the agenda through the 'I will be a life-saver' campaign.
On 16 Monday the European Mobility Week kicked off. European cities all over the Union will be engaging in events, talks and initiatives all revolving around mobility. In this period, it is estimated that around 100 people (aged 15-30) will lose their life on Europe's roads.
As the newly appointed decision-makers take their seats in Brussels and get ready for the 2024-2029 mandate, improving road safety measures to save as many lives as possible must be immediately set as a top priority for the coming term.
The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has thus decided to call on MEPs, transport ministers and all stakeholders involved in the field of road safety to keep the attention high on the commitments made by the EU for the next five years. The ETSC's 'I will be a life-saver' campaign—to which POLIS has adhered—is meant to create a network of leaders and stakeholders who want to ensure the EU and all Member States do not step back from the goal of making European roads safer for all users.
𝗪𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀📢
We have joined @ETSC_EU demanding that #RoadSafety be set as a priority for the EU in the 2024-2029 term❕🤝
Read more about it here➡️https://t.co/LaxwIztKiQ
#Iwillbealifesaver #RoadTransport pic.twitter.com/xgdy96N4YR— POLIS (@POLISnetwork) September 20, 2024
The goals are set, albeit far from being met
At the start of the previous mandate, the EU set a collective goal to cut road casualties by 50% by 2030 compared to the 2019 baseline. Almost halfway to this deadline, the current trends tell us that the goal will be missed if the trajectory is not fixed promptly. The year 2023 saw a reduction in road deaths of just 1% compared to the previous year, amounting to a total 10% reduction since the goal was set.
Every life that can be saved has more value to it than any figures can ever tell, but measurable targets are needed to keep the ambition high and ensure accountability. The flat-lining or, in some cases, the reversal of the downward trend that occurred in several Member States rings an alarm bell to which strong EU leadership must respond.
Effective and coordinated measures must be implemented at the EU as well as at the state level to ensure the goal for 2030 is met—if not exceeded.
As Karen Vancluysen, Secretary General of POLIS, said:
Improving safety is indispensable to advance several key goals. Road danger is a major obstacle to sustainable mobility and disproportionately affects people in a situation of transport poverty. POLIS member cities and regions understand that Vision Zero and Net Zero go together. We cannot compromise on either of them, and we fully subscribe to the need to stay committed to the EU’s 2030 target of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030.
POLIS stands with the ETSC in this important endeavour to keep the spotlight on road safety.
