A European Road Safety Agency should be established to provide research and advice to member states trying to reduce the number of people killed and injured in crashes, Fine Gael MEP Gay Mitchell has said. David Labanyi reports.
Speaking in Strasbourg, Mr Mitchell said there were road safety issues common to all member states and on which greater co-operation was necessary.
An example of this was that three times more men than women were killed or injured in accidents across Europe. "This is also the case in Ireland."
Almost a quarter of all victims of road crashes are aged between 18 and 25 years, despite being only 10 per cent of the population, Mr Mitchell added.
He told The Irish Times the disproportionally high rate of male deaths on the road needed to be addressed by specific measures across Europe.
The formation of an EU-wide road safety agency has been discussed for some time by the European Commission.
Safety agencies for maritime and aviation have already been established.
In a recent report on the matter the commission said: "A single agency with clear responsibility for the full range of policy interventions (road user, vehicle and infrastructure) could help to improve the coherence and co-ordination of EU road safety efforts."
Mr Mitchell questioned the commission last December on whether its road safety initatives met the requirements of the Verona Declaration - which requires actions be taken to "discourage behaviours contrary to a safety-orientated culture".
The commission reply to Mr Mitchell said work was concentrating on three areas: "road infrastructure, vehicle design and driver behaviour."
This included a directive on the compulsory use of seatbelts, curbing dangerous driving and educating young people.
The commission added that it would shortly present a mid-term review of effectiveness of the road measures taken so far.
Mr Mitchell said he would be in favour of the loading of insurance premiums for male drivers. "The reality is we have to have to confront young males."
"I think that is a reasonable position.
"I know when the insurance industry looked at this recently they were knocked back but what they were doing was based on the fact that so many young males are being killed."
Mr Mitchell said he also favoured the use of technology to improve safety.
"Some insurers are now making allowances for cars with speed limiters and I think we should look at the role technology can play."
Legislation for a road safety authority in the Republic is currently being drafted.
The new agency will have responsiblity for the training and testing of drivers, registering driving instructors and carrying out research.