IP/03/1436
Brussels, 22 October 2003
Commission calls for better enforcement of road
safety rules
The European Commission proposed today a package of measures aiming at
improving road safety through a better enforcement of road safety rules. The
package includes a proposal to update and enhance existing common rules
for standard checking procedures in the professional road transport sector
as well as a recommendation to Member States on enforcement of road
safety measures. Best practise experiences show that if traffic rules were
thoroughly checked and sanctioned, more than 14 000 lives could be saved
and 680 000 injuries avoided on European roads each year. This would go a
long way towards achieving the Union’s objective of halving the number of
road deaths by 2010. Proper enforcement of traffic rules combining checks of
compliance and appropriate sanctions for violations, especially when
combined with publicity campaigns on such enforcement actions, is
therefore key to the prevention and reduction of road accidents. “We know
why 40,000 lives are lost on European roads each year”, said Vice-President
in charge of Transport and Energy, Loyola de Palacio, “The main causes are
speeding, drink-driving and non-use of seat belts. Legislation to crack down
on this is already in place throughout the Union. However huge differences
exist in the way these rules are being respected. National figures suggest
that enforcement is one of the keys to enhanced road safety. Enforcement is
also, as far as professional transport is concerned, a precondition to fair
competition amongst our operators. This is why we are proposing a package
of measures aimed at achieving significant progress in enforcing basic road
transport rules.”
The Commission proposed today two texts aimed at reinforcing enforcement.
1. A new Directive to ensure fair competition, improved road safety and
safeguarding working conditions for professional drivers.
Only if the current social rules are enforced can there be fair competition within the
professional road transport sector. Road safety will be enhanced as less tired drivers
will be on our roads, and the drivers themselves will consider that their right to
adequate rest is assured. To this effect the Commission proposed today to revise a
19881 Directive setting out standard checking procedures for EU social legislation for
bus and lorry drivers.
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Directive 88/599/EEC
The proposed revision aims at:
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raising the quantity of checks carried out at the roadside and on the
premises of road transport operators from 1% of days worked to 3% of days
worked;
within this number of checks, devoting a greater minimum percentage (50%) to
checks on the premises, the most effective and thorough means of detecting
offences and hence deter any cowboys from abusing the rules;
improving the quality of enforcement operations by stipulating that there should
be a lead coordinating enforcement body within each Member State to be
responsible for developing and implementing a national enforcement strategy
as well as liaising with other designated bodies in other Member States;
introducing basic requirements for the training and equipment of
enforcement staff;
ensuring that Member States take into account in their current and future road
infrastructure plans, the need for sufficient lay-bys or service stations to
allow areas for drivers to rest as well as for carrying out checks;
encouraging cooperation between enforcement authorities both within a
Member State and between Member States to promote best practice and to
assist each other in pursuing those operators who do not abide by the rules.
2. Recommendation on enforcement in the field of road safety
The Commission also decided today to recommend to Member States to apply in a
national enforcement plan what is known to be best enforcement practices of
enforcement measures. They should evaluate results at regular intervals and adapt
plans if necessary. Measures to be included are the following:
 for speeding: the use of automated speed enforcement systems (automated
cameras), followed up by procedures able to cope with a large number of
violations;
 for drunk driving: the application of random breath testing with alcohol screening
devices (showing whether the driver had consumed alcohol) and the use of
evidential breath test devices (showing if the alcohol limit was exceeded);
 for seat belt use: intensive enforcement actions of a certain duration taking
place several times a year;
 these actions should be combined with publicity to make the public aware of
them and of the reasons why they are being held, as it has been proved to
reinforce their effectiveness.
The Commission recommends putting in place a mechanism for cross-border
enforcement. It is currently often difficult or impossible to execute sanctions in
another Member State than the country where the car is registered. To remedy this
at least for serious and repeated violations, the enforcement co-ordination point in
every Member State will pass information on these violations on to the authority
entitled to taking the necessary sanctions.
The Commission commits itself to propose measures of a more binding nature at a
later stage to achieve the objective of reducing the annual number of road deaths in
the EU by 50% in the year 2010, should data submitted by Member States show that
measures taken so far prove insufficient to achieve this objective. To enable the
Commission to monitor progress, Member States will report to the Commission on
the enforcement measures and information actions which they have carried out.
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