Car promises “irrelevant”

Date: 29/11/01

PEDESTRIAN safety campaigners have dismissed the early promises in a voluntary deal between the European Commission and industry to design safer cars as "irrelevant".

Single market ministers have endorsed the agreement, under which all cars on the EU market will by next year have daytime running lights and anti-lock brakes, and rigid "bull bars" will be banned.

But Jeanne Breen, director of the European Transport Safety Platform (ETSP), said: "Daytime running lights are important for car users but will not add much to pedestrian safety.

"It is a totally separate issue. On anti-lock braking, many studies show that it encourages people to corner much more quickly, and bull bars is a tiny issue."

She added that there would be nothing to stop car owners adding the bars to new cars.

Pedestrian safety campaigners have dismissed the early promises in a voluntary deal between the European Commission and industry to design safer cars as 'irrelevant'.