The upcoming trade agreement between the European Union and the United States could have far-reaching consequences for road safety in Europe, the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has warned.

At the heart of the concern is the agreement’s reference to “mutual recognition” of vehicle standards. ETSC cautions that this could undermine Europe’s stricter safety framework, which has contributed to steadily declining road fatalities across the continent.

Worries

“European cars are required to integrate technologies such as automatic emergency braking, pedestrian protection tests and lane keeping assist systems,” explained Dudley Curtis, ETSC’s communications director, for Euronews. “These are just three examples of technologies that are mandatory in Europe, but not mandatory in the US.”

Automatic Emergency Braking helps prevent crashes when a driver fails to react in time, while pedestrian protection standards reduce the severity of injuries when a person is struck. Lane Keeping Assist detects road markings, warning or correcting the driver if they drift out of their lane unintentionally.

Levels

Experts fear that opening Europe’s market to vehicles built under less demanding American rules could weaken incentives for manufacturers to maintain high safety levels. “The risk is enormous pressure to lower European standards,” warned Curtis.

The ETSC points to diverging safety records as evidence of the stakes involved. “Over the last decade or more, the number of deaths on the roads in the United States has risen, while in Europe it has fallen slowly, but it has still fallen,” Curtis noted.

While no immediate influx of American SUVs or pick-ups is expected, safety advocates stress that the political process now underway must protect the gains Europe has achieved in reducing road casualties.