De Palacio bids to tighten road safety laws

Date: 07/10/1999

By Renée Cordes

THE European Commission is set to propose tougher rules on seatbelts and alcohol limits for drivers as part of wide-ranging reforms of the Union's road safety laws.

New Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio, who told MEPs last month that road safety would be one of her five key goals in transport policy, is preparing to unveil a new five-year action plan to combat the problem. "We really have to tackle this issue," said an aide. "There is a lot of room for improvement."

Officials say the plan will be aimed at changing drivers' behaviour by, for example, by proposing harmonised EU-wide rules on the amount of alcohol drivers can legally consume before getting behind the wheel.

De Palacio's officials are urging her to resurrect a controversial proposal from the late 1980s which would make it illegal to drive with more than 0.5 grams of alcohol per litre of blood anywhere in the Union. They are also considering proposing lower alcohol limits for young people and truck drivers transporting dangerous goods, in line with moves towards similar measures in member states such as the Netherlands, Austria and Spain.

The Commission will also call for an end to some of the exemptions from current EU seatbelt rules as part of its drive to reduce the death and injury toll on Europe's roads. "There is still great potential there," said one official. "This is one of the most cost-effective means of saving lives."

In addition, the plan will call for 'speed limitors' to be installed in light trucks. These gadgets, already required in heavy trucks, prevent vehicles from travelling faster than 90 kilometres per hour. It will also propose that new digital devices which accurately record the amount of hours truck drivers are behind the wheel be made mandatory.

The move to harmonise alcohol limits will, however, be the most controversial part of the plan. Governments argued last time around that this was a matter which should be dealt with at national and local level, and Commission officials admit it will be far from easy to win them over. Although most EU countries already have a 0.5 legal alcohol limit, five member states - Greece, Ireland, the UK, Italy and Luxembourg - permit 0.8 grams per litre. Sweden - which has one of Europe's best road safety records - has a legal alcohol limit of 0.2 grams per litre, which it would be allowed to keep even if EU-wide rules were introduced.

The Commission is also planning new measures to make the Union's tunnels safer following the fatal accidents in Austria and Switzerland earlier this year. Its proposals will focus on the need to improve infrastructure, restrict the substances which drivers are allowed to transport through tunnels, require operators to fit emergency response systems and set out what information should be given to drivers.