ETSC - European Transport Safety Council

@etsc.eu

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The European Transport Safety Council is the independent voice for road safety in Europe. www.etsc.eu

A family of cyclists riding along a separated cycle lane.
AI-generated image of the Grand Place in Brussels with an ETSC-themed decoration.
Screenshot of FT news story. Full text: Crash test Pedestrians across the EU can breathe a sigh of relief. Brussels has said it will hold firm on vehicle standards despite pressure from the US as it tries to cut a trade deal on cars, writes Alice Hancock. Context: Autos are among the priority sectors to be addressed in transatlantic trade negotiations. US President Donald Trump has imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on EU car imports. The EU has an existing 10 per cent tariff on vehicles going the other way. Numbers are not the only concern of the US administration, which had demanded the EU align its vehicle standards with its lower ones in order to ease trade flows. That idea did not bode well for the safety of European roads. According to a letter sent to the European Commission by several transport groups, road deaths in the EU have decreased by 16 per cent since 2013, but have increased by 25 per cent in the US over the same period. Unlike the EU and the UK, the US has no vehicle safety standards for pedestrian protection, which through design features help minimise injuries. The commission considered lowering standards, but finally decided not to do so. In an email to the European Transport Safety Council seen by the FT, Leopoldo Rubinacci, its deputy director-general for trade, assured the group that “neither EU safety and environmental performance standards, nor citizens’ EU Treaty guaranteed rights and values are up for negotiation”. What could be on the table is the recognition of certain safety test results in areas with similar requirements.
What the truck? Say no to 17-year-olds driving heavy goods vehicles.
Interior of a Tesla car being driven 'hands-off' on a road in North America
A Dodge Ram pickup truck on a street in Brussels, Belgium