European Commission

In September 2001, the European Commission released its White Paper “European Transport Policy for 2010: Time to Decide” and set the target of 50% reduction in road fatalities by 2010.

Independently, key stakeholders were already active in developing and implementing the necessary technologies, but the coordination of these efforts was seen as a means to help ensure attainment of this ambitious target.

Therefore, an eSafety Working Group established in 2002 by the Commission, automotive industry and other stakeholders proposed 28 recommendations which give guidelines to accelerate the research, development, deployment and use of Intelligent Integrated Safety Systems — eSafety technologies.

Find out more about the European Commission's activities:

European Commission eSafety website
Workshop on Spectrum Requirements for Road Safety
The Commission's Intelligent Car Flagship under the i2010 initiative: Questions and Answers	.pdf (71 KB)

Communications from the European Commission	Document
"eCall: Time for Deployment" - COM(2009) 434 final, August 2009	.pdf (75.5 KB)
Communication from the Commission to the European Council, a European Economic Recovery Plan	.pdf (128 KB)
1st eSafety Communication (September 2003)	.pdf (44 KB)
2nd eSafety Communication (September 2005)	.pdf (151 KB)
Commission Communication on the Intelligent Car Initiative: "Raising Awareness of ICT for Smarter, Safer and Cleaner Vehicles" (February 2006)	.pdf (164 KB)
Action Plan for Energy Efficiency: Realising the Potential (October 2006)	.pdf (270 KB)
3rd eSafety Communication: Bringing eCall back on track (November 2006)	.pdf (158 KB)
Commission Communication: Towards Europe-wide Safer, Cleaner and Efficient Mobility: The First Intelligent Car Report (September 2007)	.pdf (55 KB)

Factsheets	Document
Factsheet eSafety	.pdf (51 KB)
Factsheet eCall	.pdf (51 KB)
Factsheet 112	.pdf (44 KB)
The Commission’s Intelligent Car Flagship under the i2010 initiative: Questions and Answers	.pdf (74 KB)

European Statement of Principles on human machine interface	Document
Commission Recommendation of 26/V/2008 on safe and efficient in-vehicle information and communication systems: Update of the European Statement of Principles on Human-Machine Interface	.pdf (351 KB)
ESoP - HMI, 22 December 2006	.pdf (176 KB)
ESoP - HMI, 1 June 2005	.pdf (482 KB)

Other Related Information
Recommendations on forthcoming R&D in FP7 ICT for Mobility, December 2007	.pdf (101 KB)
Strategic Research Agenda	.pdf (2164 KB)
eSafety Video
Memorandum of Understanding for eCall	.pdf (151 KB)
Report on the European Road Safety Action Programme: Halving the number of road accident victims in the European Union by 2010. Rapporteur: Ari Vatanenf
Benchmarking study on activities in promoting and deploying intelligent vehicle safety systems in the EU..
Public Consultation on daytime running lights, Road Safety Unit of the Directorate General for Energy and Transport ..
European Commission Report on 13th World Congress and Exhibition on Intelligent Transport Systems	.pdf (593 KB)
Eurobarometer Study - Use of Intelligent Systems in Vehicles, December 2006	.pdf (2038 KB)
Eurobarometer Study - Users' Attitudes towards Electronic Active Safety Systems in Vehicles, May 2006	.pdf (495 KB)

Anti-crash radars: Commission enables cars to be equipped with road safety technology

Short-range radars that can detect collision dangers and automatically apply a car’s brakes should be available by mid-2005, further to a Decision adopted 18 January 2005 by the European Commission. The decision, which allocates a specific radio frequency band to short-range radar devices, is the result of a two-year drive by the Commission and EU radio spectrum and road safety experts. According to the European Road Safety Action Programme, the number of road accident victims is to be halved in the EU by 2010.

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Electronic Car Components

The Commission published a new Directive relating to the compatibility of motor vehicles and their electronic components. The Directive will improve the safety of road users by adapting the existing legislation to technical progress. In recent years, the use of electrical and electronic systems in motor vehicles has increased tremendously. In addition to the far-reaching use of information and entertainment devices and an increasing number of electric motors and electronic devices, even certain safety functions are now controlled by electrical and electronic components (e.g. stability control, airbags). In order to ensure the safe functioning of modern motor vehicles and in view of the rapid technical developments in this area, it was the right time to amend the legislation. (OJ L 337, 13.11.2004).