The European Road Safety Charter returns to the United Kingdom. On July 8th 2009 the initiative will host a presentation and National Charter Tour in London, organised in conjunction with the UK Department for Transport.
Ms. Sarah Lambert, Head of Representation of the European Commission in the UK, will introduce this event and welcome participants. Mr. Paul Clark, MP, Road Safety Minister for Transport, will discuss road safety policies in the UK, and Ms. Isabelle Kardacz, Head of the Road Safety Unit for the European Commission, will address the direction of road safety in Europe.
Great Britain is one of the best performing countries within the EU with regards to road safety and aims to build on these accomplishments in order to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on its roads by 40 percent by 2010.
1 From 2001 to 2007, the number of road fatalities in the UK decreased by 15%, significantly more than the EU average (29%). This positive trend looks set to continue, as provisional figures for September 2008 show a further 9% decrease in fatalities on British roads compared to the same period in 2007.
2 Continued hard work and increased awareness will be required in order to improve safety on the nation's roads in alignment with British government's road safety targets for 2010 and fulfil its long-term goal "to make Britain's roads the safest in the world".
3 Road safety for pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists is a key area that has been identified for improvement. 22% of those killed in UK road accidents are pedestrians, with a further 19% being motorcycle drivers, and the number has shown a 3% increase since 2001.4 In order to reverse this trend, the UK government advocates supporting responsible road use through improved teaching and promotional campaigns, enhanced vehicle safety and improved infrastructure, especially on rural roads.5
By joining the European Road Safety Charter at this event, British signatories will be welcomed into an ever-growing European community of practitioners working together to improve road safety across the continent. New British signatories will accept the European Commission's invitation to take concrete actions, assess results and further heighten awareness about the need to reduce road accident fatalities.
The event will be held on July 8th 2009, at St Martin's Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields (entrance through the glass pavilion), Trafalgar Square, and will be followed by light refreshments.
For further information, or to arrange an interview please contact Daniel Jacobs:
E-mail: daniel.jacobs@paueducation.com
Phone: (+34) 933 670 434
Visit: www.erscharter.eu