The European Parliament adopted a resolution tabled by the Committee on Transport and Tourism on Road safety 2011-2020 – First milestones towards an injury strategy.

It supports the Commission’s announcement of a common EU definition for road traffic serious injuries and issues a number of recommendations to Member States and the Commission.

Noting that in 2011 more than 30 000 people were killed and almost 1 500 000 were reported injured (more than 250 000 of them seriously injured) in road accidents in the European Union, Parliament urges the Commission, on the basis of the data collected, to set an ambitious target of reducing road injuries by 40 % over the period 2014-2020, and to keep the global idea of ‘Vision Zero’ as a long-term goal. It welcomes the priorities set by the Commission for developing its global strategy, i.e. to address collision impact, accident management strategy, first aid and emergency services and long-term rehabilitation processes, and calls for the swift implementation of these priorities.

Reducing serious injuries on European roads without delay: Members stress that a whole range of existing legislation and measures must be better implemented without delay in order to reduce serious injuries. They call on the Commission, therefore, to:

·        review its legislation on passive and active vehicle safety so as to adapt it to the most recent technical progress, and to support the implementation of in-car enforcement technologies;

·        provide detailed information on how Member States are transposing Directive 2011/82/EU on facilitating the cross-border exchange of information on road safety related traffic offences.

Member States should continue their efforts in fighting drink- and drug-driving and exchanging best practice for the assessment and rehabilitation of traffic offenders.

Protecting vulnerable road users: noting that pedestrians and cyclists together account for 50 % of all urban road fatalities and a large share of serious injuries, Parliament calls on the Commission to provide an overview of urban areas with a 30 km/h speed limit and the effects of that limit on reducing fatalities and serious injuries. It wants the Commission to develop urban road safety guidelines that could be included in Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs), and to consider linking EU cofinancing of urban transport projects to SUMPs that include EU reduction targets for road fatalities and serious injuries.

Members stress the importance of information and training campaigns related to safer cycling and walking.

Improving first aid and emergency services: Parliament urges Member States to support the European Emergency Number 112 and welcomes the Commission's proposal to ensure the mandatory deployment by 2015, in all Member States, of a public 112-based eCall system in all new type-approved cars. It asks the Commission to consider the introduction of ‘accompanied driving’ for older minors. Members stress the need to promote first aid training and the implementation of the e-Health systems, and to encourage collaboration between emergency services and vehicle designers in order to ensure effective intervention for the rescuer and the injured.

Post-accident care: Member States are asked to emphasise the importance of post-accident care in their health sector policies and to develop educational programmes on road safety.