2: EUROPEAN ROAD SAFETY CHARTER

Set out below is the text of the European Road Safety Charter which was launched on 29^th January 2004 at a meeting of representatives of the major Brussels-based road transport stakeholders.  Signatories will be invited to sign the Charter in Dublin on 6^th April 2004, during World Road Safety Week.  The Commission believes that if stakeholders such as car manufacturers, transport companies and road safety associations undertake such commitments – and also schools, municipalities, discotheques, insurers and service providers will encourage public bodies and members of the public – ‘civil society’ – to help achieve the EU target of halving the number of road deaths by 2010.

TEXT OF THE EUROPEAN ROAD SAFETY CHARTER

I, the undersigned [name, address], represented by [name and position of person signing]

Having authority, decision-making, economic or social powers or a mandate to represent,

And, in this capacity having a share of the responsibility for road safety in the European Union,

(Preamble)

Whereas the number of road accident victims in Europe at present is unacceptable, and the most effective possible measures need to be taken to reduce this number in the shortest possible time,

Whereas coordinated action between the many parties having responsibility, in one capacity or another, is more likely to achieve the intended results,

Believing that there are effective measures available to encourage road users to apply safety rules and even to take further measures, for example in order to reduce the exposure of users to the risks of accidents; and believing that the scope of such measures will be all the greater if a critical number of stakeholders commit themselves to them,

Subscribing to the objective of reducing the number of deaths on the roads by at least 50% by 2010,

Confident in the sense of responsibility of the individuals and organisations concerned,

Aware that actions to promote road safety entail extremely low costs compared with the human, social and economic cost of unsafe roads,

(Objective)

UNDERTAKE TO IMPLEMENT, PROACTIVELY, THE MEASURES WITHIN THE SPHERE OF MY RESPONSIBILITY AND ACTIVITIES SO AS TO SPEED UP PROGRESS ON ROAD SAFETY.  UNDERTAKE IN PARTICULAR, WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF MY RESPONSIBILITY AND SPECIFICITIES, AND WHERE NECESSARY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ANNEX TO THIS CHARTER, TO IMPLEMENT THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES AND MEASURES:

1. To take the measures within my sphere of responsibility to contribute to the abovementioned objective of reducing the number of road deaths.

2. To include road safety actions and safety performance measurement among my major objectives and principal decision-making criteria, in particular in the context of research activities, organisation and investment and in the more general framework of the organisation of professional activities, so as to draw up a veritable road safety plan.

3. To share with the competent bodies responsible for road safety technical and statistical information making for a better understanding of the causes of accidents, the injuries caused by accidents and the effectiveness of preventive and palliative measures.

4. To contribute to preventing road traffic accidents by pursuing high-quality actions in one or more of the following areas:

initial and continuous driving training and information,

motor-vehicle equipment and ergonomics,

infrastructure designed to minimise the risks of accidents and their gravity and to encourage safe driving.

5. To develop and implement technologies for reducing the consequences of road traffic accidents.

6. To contribute towards the development of means of uniform, continuous and appropriate monitoring of compliance with traffic rules by persons acting in my name or under my authority and penalising any offenders in a uniform, rapid and proportionate way.

7. To create a framework encouraging the introduction of continuous education actions and the rehabilitation of high-risk drivers.

8. To endeavour to contribute, wherever possible, to a better understanding of the causes, circumstances and consequences of accidents in order to draw lessons from them in order to avoid their repetition.

9. To contribute towards ensuring that effective and high-quality, medical, psychological and legal assistance is available for road accident victims.

10. To accept post-evaluations by peers, in accordance with appropriate confidentiality rules, of the measures taken to improve road safety and, where necessary, to draw lessons from them to review the measures.

AND LASTLY

11. To deliberately take the initiative of implementing measures going beyond the regulatory requirements in force, namely ……….. [to be completed by the signatory].

Done at …,

(signature)