Latest news with #ETSC
Local Norway
25-07-2025
- Automotive
- Local Norway
'Vision Zero': Why are Norwegian roads so safe?
These 89 break down to just 16 deaths per million inhabitants, and represent a 14 percent reduction on the rate Norway reported in 2023. It is only one-fifth the death rate of Serbia, the country rated by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) as having the most dangerous roads. Sweden ranks second with 20 deaths per million inhabitants, and Denmark ranks fourth with 24. Finland with 31 is the worst performer in the Nordics. Germany, with 33, has double Norway's traffic death rate while Italy on 51, has triple Norway's rate. EXPLAINED: The dos and don'ts of driving in Norway Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Slovakia, and Ireland also had the lowest death rates per billion vehicle-km travelled. Norway has led the ETSC's Annual Road Safety Performance Index for ten years in a row, something the council puts down to its continual efforts to improve road safety, with 179 action measures in 15 priority areas in its current three-year road safety strategy, winning it the 2025 PIN Traffic Safety Award. Advertisement EXPLAINED: The ways you can lose your driving licence in Norway In a page in the index, Norway's transport minister Jon-Ivar Nygård put the country's success down to its "systematic, evidence-based and long-term efforts", and particularly to its Vision Zero methodology. Norwegian cars increasingly, he said, travel within the speed limit thanks to hard-hitting publicity campaigns by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, automatic speed cameras, and traffic police with unmarked vehicles. Norway is aiming to reduce the number of road deaths still further to under 50 by 2030 and to reduce the number of serious injuries to under 350. To achieve this, Norway's government plans "increased control and enforcement", "targeted campaigns", and new cameras at known danger spots. The next few years will also see an increased focus on motorcycles and e-scooters.
Irish Times
24-07-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Times
Ireland ranked seventh in Europe for number of road deaths in 2024 amid ‘alarming rise'
Ireland ranked seventh in Europe for numbers of road deaths per million population, according to European Transport Safety Council data from 2024. However, progress in reducing road deaths 'has been slower than the EU average', said Maria Meinero, policy and data analyst with the ETSC. Ireland's high point was in 2018, when the country ranked second in Europe for its relatively low levels of road deaths. Figures rose from 134 road deaths in 2018 to 179 in 2023 after the pandemic. There were 175 road deaths in 2024. The Road Safety Authority has identified a notable increase in young people's deaths; those aged 16 to 25 accounted for 27 per cent of all road deaths in 2023 and 2024. READ MORE Dudley Curtis, communications manager at ETSC, said: 'The rise in road deaths in Ireland over the past five years is alarming. But this trend can and must be reversed.' The 27 EU countries agreed to cut the number of road deaths in half by 2030 from 2019 baseline figures, as part of its Vision Zero strategy. In Ireland, the goal is to have no more than 72 people dying on the roads by 2030 and no fatalities at all by 2050. Already in the first six months of 2025, 81 people have died on Irish roads. On Wednesday the July 16th, the Department of Transport published its second action plan to achieve safer roads between 2025 and 2027. Priority areas include improvements to sustainable transport infrastructure and interventions in high-risk areas. Speed limits and alcohol interlocks for convicted drink drivers have proven to reduce deaths on the road in other places in Europe, says Curtis. 'Ireland should do the same – without hesitation.' Norway was the top ranking country in 2024, with 16 road deaths per million people, and Sweden was ranked second with 20 deaths per million people. The region's average stands at 45 deaths per million inhabitants in 2024 and is not on target to reach a 50 per cent reduction by 2030. 'We must strive to achieve greater progress, to emulate what has been achieved in Norway – a mark of what is possible to achieve', says Michael Rowland, director of research, standards and assurance at the RSA. Rowland acknowledged 'a substantial growth in our population, as well as increases in the number of registered vehicles, vehicles kilometres travelled and in the number of licensed drivers using our roads' have increased the risks with driving in Ireland. He also points to 'persistent levels of engagement in dangerous behaviours on our roads among motorists', such as speeding, drunk driving and mobile phone use causing distraction, as the causes of more collisions and fatalities.
Forbes
24-07-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Safety Bodies Urge EU Not To Let US Vehicles Skirt Safety Rules
Independent European road safety bodies are concerned that the U.S. will skirt around the EU's ... More crash-safety regulations as part of any trade deal. Photo: Guido Kirchner/picture alliance via Getty Images. Europe's peak independent transport safety bodies have urged the European Union not to follow Japan's lead and allow U.S.-made vehicles to be sold to European customers without passing European safety regulations. The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has insisted that the EU should not allow American companies to sidestep EU safety regulations in the interests of lowered tariffs with the U.S. The Trump administration this week announced a trade deal with Japan, the centerpiece of which is a 15% reciprocal tariff on goods exported from Japan to the U.S. - which has American automakers concerned. But the fine print of the deal showed that American automakers would now be allowed to sell their vehicles into the Japanese market - without passing Japanese domestic crash or emissions regulations. News stories today hinted that the EU was preparing to sign a similar deal, allowing its automakers to export to the U.S. for a 15% tariff rather than building cars there, with the same circumvention of its crash-safety regulations, which are considered the toughest in the world. Autonomous emergency braking, ntelligent speed assistance and pedestrian protection are some ... More features mandated under EU law that are not mandatory in U.S. cars. Photo: Getty. In a statement released today, the ETSC expressed deep concern that the move could undermine years of crash-safety science and improvement and urged the EU to reject any such deal and insisted vehicle-safety standards were public protections, not trade barriers. 'We are deeply concerned by the trade deal reached this week by the governments of Japan and the United States, which reportedly removes domestic Japanese safety testing requirements for American-made vehicles exported to Japan,' the statement read. "This move sets a dangerous precedent - one that could undermine road safety in countries that have led the world in automotive safety regulation. 'Allowing vehicles to bypass proven national safety standards for the sake of trade expediency risks turning back the clock on decades of progress in reducing road deaths and serious injuries.' Signatories to the statement include the the Executive Director of the European Transport Safety Council (Antonio Avenoso), the Acting Director General of the FIA's Region 1 (Diogo Pinto), the Executive Director of Transport & Environment (William Todts) and the President of the International Federation of Pedestrians (Geert van Waeg). Others involved included leaders of the European Consumer Voice in Standardization, Cities and Regions for Transport Innovation and the European Cyclists' Federation. Leading the pushback were Michiel van Ratingen, the Secretary General of Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) and the CEO of Global NCAP, Richard Woods. NCAP programs have been responsible for enormous steps forward in consumer awareness of vehicle crash safety and, more lately, in driver-assistance systems. 'Reports indicate that Japan will now allow U.S. vehicles to enter its market without being subject to Japan's specific crash testing or safety compliance requirements. We urge the European Union not to follow suit,' the statement continued. "Trade talks must not become a backdoor to regulatory weakening. Vehicle safety standards are not trade barriers; they are public protections backed by science and evidence. Weakening or bypassing them would lead to real and measurable harm - particularly to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. "The EU has consistently adopted some of the world's most effective vehicle safety regulations, culminating in the General Safety Regulation that is currently in force. These rules mandate technologies such as automated emergency braking, intelligent speed assistance, and pedestrian protection - none of which are currently required for vehicles sold in the U.S. 'We urge EU leaders to maintain this position, and to state clearly that no deal on vehicles will be accepted unless all products placed on the EU market meet existing European regulatory requirements in full.'While the Trump administration has insisted that its tariff war would bring jobs back to America, it was the Toyota Motor Corp whose shares boomed on the Japanese tariff announcement, rising 13% to a seven-month high yesterday. The Big Three U.S. automakers called for caution on the tariffs yesterday, with the head of the American Automotive Policy Council (which represents Ford, GM and Stellantis) insisting they would harm American manufacturers, rather than helping them. 'Any deal that charges a lower tariff for Japanese imports with virtually no U.S. content than the tariff imposed on North American built vehicles with high U.S. content is a bad deal for U.S. industry and U.S. auto workers,' the council's head, Matt Blunt, said in a statement. Auto Drive America, which represents automakers who sell imported vehicles in the U.S., had a different take, and urged Trump to reach similar deals with the EU, Mexico and South Korea. 'We share President Trump's vision to make the U.S. the worldwide center of automotive production, and our member companies need stability in order to create an environment where we can maintain our competitive edge both in the U.S. and on the global stage,' Auto Drive America said in a statement. The Trade War has been a collection of ups and downs that have driven automakers to despair, given that all U.S.-built cars contain at least 15% foreign-made parts. The irony is that American cars have been sold tariff-free in Japan for decades, but have failed to garner interest due to being too large and inefficient for Japanese tastes. Now, they'll be at least 15% more expensive to Japanese buyers.
Forbes
26-06-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Why Can't Every Country Be Like Norway When It Comes To Road Safety?
Norway received the 2025 European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) award for outstanding progress in ... More road safety. Norway continues to be the safest country in Europe for road users, and is a model of 'vision and action.' Between 2013 and 2023, traffic road deaths dropped by 40%. In 2024, there were only 16 road deaths per million inhabitants, the lowest rate among 32 countries. To recognize Norway's commitment to and accomplishment in reducing traffic deaths, the country received the 2025 Road Safety Performance Index (PIN) award for outstanding progress in road safety. The news was announced on Tuesday by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), a Brussels-based independent non-profit organization, which administers the annual award. 'Norway continues to show what's possible when a country commits to road safety at every level – from government strategy to local planning,' Antonio Avenoso, ETSC's executive director, said in a statement. 'Their results are no accident; they're the product of clear targets, rigorous implementation, and national ambition.' Norway's progress was cited in a range of strategic road safety initiatives. These include: Norway's exemplary performance is credited to its 'continuous innovation in national and local road safety policy,' the safety group said, and its long-standing adoption of a Vision Zero or Safe System approach to road safety and design that takes human error into account, first put into effect in Sweden in the 1990s. The goal of the initiative is to eliminate all road deaths and serious injuries by creating multiple layers of protection, so if one fails, the others will create a safety net to lessen the impact of a crash. Improvements are designed to result in: safer people, safer roads, safer vehicles, safer speeds and better post-crash care. The announcement of Norway's award coincided with the publication of the safety council's new 19th Annual Road Safety Performance Index (PIN Report) that shows that while Norway stands out for its success, the broader picture is concerning: the mixed progress across Europe is a 'clear warning: the EU is significantly off track to meet its target of halving road deaths and serious injuries by 2030.' Eight countries, including Switzerland and Estonia, for example, saw an increase in deaths in 2024. However, while overall progress in Europe has been slow, some countries have made significant improvements: The safety group said it was time for European Union (EU) institutions and national governments to renew their commitment to the Safe System approach, and to take stronger action. 'Norway proves that road deaths are not inevitable – they are preventable. But every country in Europe must now follow their example,' Avenoso said. The report calculated that about 23,800 lives have been saved since 2014 due to road safety improvements, and the estimated societal benefit of these saved lives amounts to €60 billion (nearly $70 billion). 'We know what works,' Avenoso added. 'The real challenge is political will. Without bold national and EU-level action, thousands more lives will be lost unnecessarily.' For more information and to read the full report, with interactive maps, graphs charts, and data, click here and here.
Telegraph
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Approving US-made cars would make UK roads less safe
New cars sold in Britain could become less safe if America gets its way in ongoing US-EU trade talks. Currently there's a chasm in safety standards between US-market vehicles and those approved for sale in Europe, which Britain is still aligned to for safety legislation. Although there's not currently much of an appetite for American-made cars in Britain, the US wants its vehicles to be declared 'equivalent' to ours in safety terms – despite them falling way short. Why is the safety of US-market cars an issue? Following President Donald Trump's directive that America should sell more cars abroad, the US and EU are currently in negotiations. The US believes the EU's stricter vehicle safety rules are simply a form of trade protectionism. US ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland said: 'If we sell you a vegetable or a car or a product, if it's safe to use in the US it should be deemed safe to use in the EU.' Are US vehicles safe? 'When it comes to protecting pedestrians and everyone else outside of vehicles, the gap between crash standards in the US and Europe is an ocean wide,' James Nix, vehicles policy manager for pressure group Transport & Environment (T&E) said. Dudley Curtis from the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) added: 'One long-standing issue is the design of the front end of vehicles. In America you don't have a pedestrian protection requirement. We've had these since 2003.' What safety equipment do US cars lack? There's a host of safety equipment we take for granted that isn't compulsory on US-market cars. At the very basic level, seatbelt reminders have been compulsory in cars sold in Europe since 2019. In the US, they are only required for the driver's seat. The Biden administration wanted them all-round in 2026-27 but experts think that's now unlikely to happen. Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) has been hailed as the greatest safety advance since the seatbelt as it slows a car automatically if it detects an impending impact. Since 2022 it must be fitted to every new car sold in the EU (and the UK). The US was due to make it compulsory in 2029 but the ETSC says the Trump government has suspended that. Cars sold this side of the Atlantic since 2022 must also have intelligent speed adaptation. This uses cameras and GPS to encourage drivers to stick to speed limits. Again, it's not compulsory in the US. Neither is fatigue monitoring or emergency calling, which enables the car to automatically summon assistance if it detects a possible driver-incapacitating accident. Then there are the things we don't see. To get the top five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating, vehicles sold in the EU must pass stringent tests for the protection of occupants in frontal and side-impact collisions, whiplash prevention and safety assist features, as well as pedestrian safety. Equivalent testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US isn't as rigorous. 'For example, they don't use the latest [more sophisticated] generation of crash test dummies,' the director-general of Europe for the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), Laurianne Krid, pointed out. What is the problem with selling US-market vehicles here? As we've seen, simply saying a US car is as safe as a European one doesn't make it so. James Nix from T&E said: 'Particularly since the 2000s, Europe has made significant vehicle safety improvements that simply weren't mirrored in the US.' To maintain this improved safety standard, all manufacturers – whether from Europe, Korea, Japan, China or the US – must currently seek European type approval for their cars to sell them in large volumes here. There are concerns that giving in to the US would set a precedent for other countries. The ETSC's Curtis explained: 'We want to send a very clear message that this is a bad idea and will be a big mistake. We don't want to see the EU's world-leading vehicle safety standards undermined, because it's hard to see how that doesn't then undermine the whole system.' If the US gets its way, we might also see an influx of much larger vehicles. The FIA's Krid said: 'Most of the crash tests we do don't test the compatibility of smaller vehicles with much larger ones. Having larger vehicles coming to Europe isn't going to be great for road safety in general.' There's also the impact on infrastructure. Krid added: 'We do know the heavier the vehicles and the fewer the axles that weight is put on, the more damage there is to the infrastructure. So bringing in larger vehicles will have an impact on roads.' And the last thing we need is more potholes. Why aren't US vehicles as safe? Of course some US-made vehicles such as Teslas meet European type approval requirements, but they are the exception rather than the rule. The ETSC's Curtis explained: 'The US and Europe have two different regulatory systems. In the US, there's manufacturer self-certification before a car can be sold. Then there's a robust enforcement system run by [the] NHTSA. 'The European type approval system independently checks components, systems and the whole vehicle before it's allowed to be sold.' The result is that US roads are significantly less safe than Europe's. The ETSC says that since 2013, road deaths in the EU have decreased by 16 per cent. In the US over the same period, they have increased by 25 per cent. How likely is equivalency to happen? With the Trump government nothing is off the table. 'It's hard to second guess what the US strategy is,' said Curtis. The concern is it could be the thin end of a wedge that will see larger US vehicles coming in through a back door. Currently, if you want to fizz around Fulham in a monster Ford F-Series pick-up, you can buy one via the individual vehicle approval (IVA) loophole. Sales of giant Chevrolet Silverados sold in Europe through IVA went up by 513 per cent between 2022 and 2023. Safety experts want the IVA loophole closed. Krid warned: 'There is a genuine risk that some vehicles [deemed unsafe in Europe] might come through. That's what happens in negotiations. We want to limit the loopholes or whatever might arise from the trade agreement.' One thing is for sure, there are multiple reasons we should all be concerned about the prospect of car safety standards being diluted.
