Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-06-19-Speech-4-011"
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"en.20080619.2.4-011"2
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".
Madam President, Commissioner, as we were saying here yesterday, you have come here in your new role at a particularly good time during our debate on transport.
During these few days we have been discussing various issues that are to improve road safety and the quality of transport. Two days ago we were speaking about the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, yesterday we were discussing the transportation of hazardous materials and safe road systems. Today we are considering vehicles themselves, that is, how to make the vehicles used by people on roads within the European Union as safe as possible.
For us the goal is clear, which is to enable EU citizens to move about more effectively and make their lives more comfortable but, at the same time, they should feel safer, so that, thanks to our regulations, we can tell our electors, tell the people, that we have made a positive contribution. Specific measures taken by the European Parliament show the importance not just of this House, they also show that European legislation and European institutions bring something positive and tangible into the lives of everyone.
We should remember that when we are debating initiatives to make vehicles safer, there are two things to bear in mind. Firstly, it is the car itself and all the systems that we are considering: systems for speed control, for stability control, for maintaining distance between vehicles, all these support systems, together with navigation systems, are all very important things that improve the functioning of the car, which is the tool that is used by those travelling by road.
However, we should also remember, and it is appropriate to point this out in these speeches, that, for our citizens, for those travelling by road, the issue of communications is also very important, should there be a tragedy, an accident, or some misfortune. Our citizens should feel confident that, thanks to technical equipment and the systems that we are introducing, they will get help as soon as possible.
Both these issues are very important. Both, that means effective information systems so that help can arrive in case of an accident and, at the same time, systems that improve the vehicles themselves.
In discussing this report, which my political group supports, we have also to remember its limitations. First of all, when we speak of an intelligent car, we must not forget that a very important part of an intelligent car is an intelligent driver. This is no small matter and the educational issue is very important. We have found on a number of occasions that technological progress was not accompanied by improvements in safety. Why? Because, despite improved technology and faster cars, drivers felt impregnable when driving their cars. Better roads meant they could drive faster. For this reason the issue of education, showing what is useful in modern technology, but also its limitations, and also showing how drivers should not abuse the modern technologies that we, I hope, will implement, is also very important.
The issue of market forces has also been raised, as there are no guarantees that the regulations introduced by ourselves, however good, useful, appropriate and beneficial for drivers they may be, will result in an immediate exchange of vehicles in favour of cars that we consider to be safer, more efficient and easier to use. There are no guarantees because there is, of course, the barrier of price. This barrier could severely restrict access to these vehicles. I am not a supporter of systems that involve funding and also, both for the Commission and for all of us, it is something of an intellectual challenge to know what to do, not just to make safer vehicles and better roads, but to make our citizens, the citizens of the European Union, want to use them and to have the financial capabilities needed for this purpose.
I would like to thank the rapporteur very much and to express my strong support for this report once again."@en1
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