After 22 years of investment in research and development, the Commission has confirmed in a new Road Safety Communication that there will be a legislative proposal to ensure safer car fronts for pedestrians and cyclists. If all cars had safe designs this would mean 2,000 fewer deaths and 19,000 serious injuries less a year.

This measure forms part of a new action plan of priority cost-effective measures at EU level to reduce 43,000 deaths every year. Against the estimated cost of road crashes at over 160 billion euro - around twice the EU annual budget - the communication urges Member States to increase public investment in road safety.

Jeanne Breen, ETSC's Executive Director said today: "We welcome the emphasis on safer vehicles for EU action and safer car fronts for pedestrians and cyclists are our top priority. We are also pleased to see the fitment of speed limiters to light trucks, further seat belt legislation, more support for Euro NCAP and best practice guidelines as EU priorities. These will all save many lives and help to reduce the sevenfold difference in fatal road death rates between the best and worst performing Member States.

"However, there are several important omissions. No binding upper blood alcohol limit of .50 promille for the EU will cost 1,000 lives a year. This would have required four Member States - UK, Ireland, Italy and Luxembourg - to reduce their limits from .80 to the safer maximum limit of .50 promille. While the Commission cites subsidiarity for this policy change, the UK only last week stated in their new road safety strategy that lower limits should be dealt with at EU level !"

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