ETSC PIN flash 38
“How safe is walking and cycling in Europe?”: this is the tittle of the new report by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) published today.
With this paper ETSC calls for urgent action to ensure that sustainable modes of transport such as walking and cycling, are made much safer.
The latest figures show that deaths of cyclists in the EU have fallen eight times more slowly than deaths of motor vehicle occupants in the EU since 2010: at least 51,300 pedestrians and 19,450 cyclists killed on EU roads between 2010 and 2018.
The slow decline in cyclist deaths reflects both an increase in levels of cycling in several EU countries, but also the failure by the EU, many governments, local authorities and motor vehicle manufacturers to invest more heavily in measures to protect vulnerable road users.
The report recommends applying a hierarchy for urban planning that prioritises walking, cycling and public transport over private car use, as well as 30 km/h limits supported by traffic calming infrastructure and by enforcement in areas with high levels of walking and cycling.
The authors are also calling on the EU to channel funds into road safety improvements such as the infrastructure modifications needed to support safer city streets and to come forward with a strategy on safe active mobility. ETSC also wants to see improved data collection because many deaths and serious injuries of cyclists and pedestrians still go unrecorded, as well as Key Performance Indicators to track progress across the EU on improving safety for these groups.