'each Euro NCAP star equals 10% reduction in road fatality risk’.
The European Commission has published its long awaited European Road Safety Action Plan. Entitled ‘Halving the number of road accident victims in the EU by 2010: a shared responsibility’, the document sets out the European Commission’s strategy for improving road safety and identifies key initiatives and projects that will help to achieve the ambitious objective of reducing road fatalities by 50% in seven years.
FIA Foundation-funded projects and supported activities including Euro NCAP, Euro RAP, tunnel safety testing and the e-safety initiative are at the core of the EU’s strategy. Research on behalf of the European Commission has found that each star awarded to a car by Euro NCAP can be associated with a reduction of almost 10% in fatal accident risk to occupants. The research, by SARAC, also shows that cars awarded the maximum five stars in Euro NCAP tests have a 36% lower intrinsic fatal accident risk than cars designed simply to meet the EU legal standard. The Euro RAP Programme, supported by the FIA Foundation, is highlighted as a catalyst for improving road design. The Commission has also published a Road Safety Charter, which it is encouraging business and civil society to endorse. The full Communication and a summary of the Action Plan can be accessed on the left.
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