New EU road safety rules highlight need to protect children
New European Union rules on wearing seat belts come into force in the UK on Monday 18 September. Specially adapted seat belts to protect children are among the requirements.
The move has been warmly welcomed by the head of the European Commission in the UK, Reijo Kemppinen. "This is an important step forward in road safety for that most precious of cargoes - our children - which I am sure every parent will support."
Over 130 children die and more than 4,500 are seriously injured in road accidents every year in the UK. Research shows that seat belts specially designed for children significantly reduce the risk of serious injury, which is why the new EU directive requires children’s safety devices to be adapted for height and weight.
The new rules no longer allow rear-facing child restraints on front passenger seats unless the airbag has been deactivated. These measures will help the UK to reach the government’s target to halve the number of children killed or seriously injured in road accidents by 2010.
Existing road safety legislation requires passengers to wear seat belts in vehicles weighing less than 3.5 tonnes. Now larger vehicles will also be covered. Wearing seat belts will be compulsory in all EU member states for drivers and passengers on tourist coaches, lorries and mini buses where seat belts are fitted.
In the UK, 3,368 people were killed on the roads in 2004. Failure to use seat belts is the second biggest cause of road deaths after speeding. Drink-driving comes third. A European Commission study [1]has concluded that using seat belts could save 5,500 lives a year across the EU.
Jacques Barrot, European Commissioner for transport, said: “In 2001, 50,000 people died on Europe's roads. This measure will save thousands of lives and help us meet the target of halving the number of deaths on the European roads by 2010.”
With the Commission’s agreement, member states can grant a number of exemptions to rules that cover adult seat belt use in heavier vehicles. This is possible to allow certain types of occupations to be carried out effectively, to ensure that police, security or emergency services can perform their duties properly, or to take account of specific conditions in certain types of transport. Six member states [2], including the UK, have asked the Commission to be allowed to grant exemptions.
The European Commission recently reviewed efforts made since 2001 to improve road safety. The UK came out particularly well. Still, for Europe as a whole, in 2005 there were 41,000 road deaths and 1.7 million injuries, against 50,000 deaths and 1.9 million injuries in 2001.
|
