We read that the Germany’ Number 1 New Year’s Resolution, when it takes over the EU Presidency, is a Directive on Traffic Law Enforcement (pdf).

The road safety community has high expectations of the country taking a leading role in the field of road safety policy. “Germany with its higher than average performance should encourage other EU countries to follow suit on road safety. Their Presidency of the EU is a real chance for the country to take a leadership role as the EU is forging ahead on a number of road safety issues. Binding EU legislation on traffic law enforcement should be placed at the top of the German EU Presidency’s New Year’s Resolutions for 2007” says Jörg Beckmann, Director the European Transport Safety Council.

“Hang on”, you can hear the Daily Mail squeal; “the UK has the best road safety figures in Europe, and we will not be taught by the Germans.”

Rubbish! The UK may have the lowest road fatalities/inhabitants ratio (on par with Sweden and 25% lower than Germany) but that statistic hides a more sinister truth: the UK has the highest ratio of pedestrian deaths/total fatalities in the EU. It seems that the UK authorities have a very cavalier attitude towards the most vulnerable of road users. The DfT’s goal is to limit drivers killing each other but authorities (and here I include the Police and the Judiciary) are indifferent when the bullies kill the vulnerable.

If the ratio of pedestrian deaths/total fatalities in the UK were the same as the rest of Europe, 320 fewer pedestrians would be killed every year. This number puts paid to the obscene standard British response that it is the foreign pedestrians who are getting killed because they look the other way. Most foreign tourists do not venture outside London, whose rate, with 110 deaths, is only marginally worse than the rest of the country.

No. The finger must be resolutely pointed to the authorities and their callous indifference to the daily killing of vulnerable pedestrians.

Let’s hope that the Germans will bring some sense of fairness to these shores. And let’s hope that they will not ask us to stop walking at red lights!

Image courtesy of Daily Candy