OCTOBER 24, 2003

Mosley calls for radical change in European road safety

FIA President Max Mosley has launched a scathing attack on the European Union's attitude towards road safety and is calling for a completely new approach.

Speaking at the International Road Safety Exhibition in Verona, Italy, Mosley said that Europe needs its own road safety agency.

"From a systemic point of view the EU neglects road safety," Mosley said. "Next year we face elections to the European Parliament and the appointment of a new European Commission. It is a time for new thinking and new approaches. I would like to propose radical change. Road safety should be given the urgent priority it deserves. Responsibility for it should be established in a single directorate or agency that can deal with all the relevant issues. One political figure should be made accountable for road safety promotion within the EU. He or she should publish an annual report on road safety that includes league tables that clearly show which Member States are performing badly. New European agencies for Maritime Safety and Aviation Safety have just been created. Is there not an overwhelming case for a European Road Safety Agency? Remember, it could save over 20,000 lives each year just by bringing EU road safety standards up to those already in place in two of the member states."