EU Speed Limit proposals

[diapason0]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -laws.html

For once, I am in agreement with the Reich

[TonyR]

It'll never happen The last good looking news coming from the EU was the Third Railway Package to make it mandatory to carry bikes on trains. But by the time they were finished with the process it was completely neutered.

[Audax67]

It'll never happen The last good looking news coming from the EU was the Third Railway Package to make it mandatory to carry bikes on trains. But by the time they were finished with the process it was completely neutered.

- Excuse me, sir, but you can't get on the train
- Whyever not?
- You're not carrying a bicycle.

[thirdcrank]

Thr trouble with this sort of thing is that it's so difficult to get to the bottom of what is actually being proposed. We hear so much about drivers being confused by inconsistency, it might have been expected that a universally applied, Europe-wide standard would be welcomed. It could be an opportunity introduce more robust enforcement, French style. More fixed penalties, far fewer loopholes.

[Vorpal]

The speed limits proposals are part of a road safety action plan available online here.

[snibgo]

Thanks for the link, Vorpal.

I know next to nothing about how the European Parliament works. This seems to be a resolution passed by the Committee on Transport and Tourism, asking various things of the European Commission, Member States and so on. The formal resolution is http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/get ... anguage=EN

The Mail calls it "today's proposal" although it was adopted in June.

Some of the requests are woolly, and some are very specific. As a cyclist, there isn't much to dislike. For example:

54. Strongly recommends the responsible authorities to introduce speed limits of 30 km/h in residential areas and on all one-lane roads in urban areas which have no separate cycle lane, with a view to protecting vulnerable road users more effectively;

91. Urges the Commission to speed up its evaluation and revision of Directive 2007/38/EC; calls for technological advancement to be taken into account by fitting all lorries with special rear-view mirrors, camera/monitor devices or other technical instruments that eliminate blind spots, so as to prevent, in particular, accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians who find themselves in the driver’s blind spot;

100. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to support cycling and walking as mode of transport in their own right and an integral part of all transport systems;

101. Calls on the Member States: [...] to encourage cyclists, especially at night outside built-up areas, to use crash helmets and wear warning jackets or comparable clothing as a means of improving their visibility;

It looks to me as if Member States are at complete liberty to ignore the recommendations. And I predict they will.