Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-01-17-Speech-3-221"
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"en.20070117.12.3-221"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, going out on the roads is certainly not without its dangers – everyone knows that – but we obviously cannot avoid transporting people and goods by road. It is, after all, the most flexible form of transport, and we are dependent on a functional road system. Roads are the arteries of our economy.
The EU has set itself the goal of making road transport safer, and, indeed, it is quite unacceptable that so many thousands of people die on our roads and motorways every year. We are still, though, recording more than 40 000 deaths on the roads. So, what can we do about it?
One important and simple way of further reducing the number of accidents would be to introduce a complete ban on drinking and driving for young and new drivers, and for professional drivers in passenger transport and, for example, the carriage of dangerous goods. I would therefore call for a regulation moving towards zero blood alcohol content for these drivers, who present an increased risk. New drivers lack experience, and are therefore particularly prone to accidents if they drink alcohol. In the case of the transport of passengers or dangerous goods, drivers have a particularly high responsibility. It is therefore quite right that they should avoid alcohol completely when driving. There can be no tolerance here.
Another measure that could help bring about a significant and lasting reduction in the number of serious accidents is adequate traffic controls. It is up to the Member States to properly monitor compliance with existing laws, for example through driving licence, safety and alcohol checks, because not everything has to be regulated by new and additional European laws. This is also true, incidentally, of an EU-wide speed limit. I think that this is something for the Member States to decide individually, based on the quality of their roads and motorways. Fast driving – by which I do not mean reckless driving – does not, in itself, increase the risk of an accident. Tiredness is, perhaps, a much greater risk factor, but how can we monitor that, at any rate in individual car transport?
One thing we can control, though, is the use of mobile telephones while driving. Drivers are distracted by the telephone at their ear. A requirement to use hands-free kits for mobiles while driving would therefore make a major contribution to road safety. I do not understand those people here who want to prevent this: it was proven to be a problem a long time ago.
A general ban on overtaking for vehicles over 12 tonnes would certainly be desirable from my personal point of view as a car driver – and I do a lot of driving – but the question is whether it is realistic. Perhaps we should, instead, link it to a specific speed. I think it is absolutely vital to have regular technical safety inspections for all motor vehicles, standardised across Europe.
Finally, I would just like to make one more comment: incentives, usually tax incentives, for renewing the vehicle fleet would be an excellent instrument for solving the safety problem, and it is also important with regard to environmental protection. For example, the abolition of registration taxes in some Member States would make an important contribution to that. As we know, though, that is a whole other topic.
I am most grateful to the rapporteur for her excellent work and to you, ladies and gentlemen, for your attention at this late hour."@en1
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