Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the protection of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users in the event of a collision with a motor vehicle and amending Directive 70/156/EEC (presented by the Commission)

As many as 8,000 pedestrians and cyclists are killed and a further 300,000 injured in the Community each year in road accidents. This proposal aims to reduce deaths and injuries that occur in accidents involving pedestrians through changes to the front of vehicles. The proposal lays down requirements for the construction of motor vehicles in order to improve the protection of pedestrians and other road users by mitigating the severity of injuries in the event of a collision with a motor vehicle. The frontal parts of motor vehicles will have to be constructed in such a way that, when impacted, certain limit values are not exceeded. The proposed measures apply to passenger cars and light vans. As the construction of passenger cars is covered by Community legislation under the EC whole vehicle type-approval system set up by Directive 70/156/EEC, as amended, the proposed requirements will also be incorporated into this system. This proposal lays down harmonised technical requirements for the type-approval of motor vehicles with regard to pedestrian protection. Harmonised rules are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of the Internal Market in this area. Therefore this proposal is based on Article 95 of the Treaty establishing the European Community. (Author/publisher)