The European Safe Logistics Association – Eumos – welcomes the proposed revision of the Roadworthiness Package aiming at improving existing road safety rules presented by the European Commission on 24 April. With this revision, the Commission proposes to introduce mandatory rules for the inspection of cargo securing in order to work towards the elimination of accidents caused by poorly secured cargo. The introduction of the obligation to inspect the safe securing of goods will help to a great extent to make logistics safer and to harmonise the rules for this purpose throughout Europe.

Eumos strongly supports the EU Vision Zero objective aiming at reducing road deaths to zero by 2050 in which framework the Roadworthiness Package has been elaborated. Eumos estimates that 8,000 people a year are seriously affected on the road by accidents with a root cause in inadequate cargo securing, including accidents with irreversible health damages and fatalities. This estimate is based on a compilation of figures from Intrastat and Traffic Police from different European Member States. Introducing binding rules which are rigorously enforced could gradually achieve the elimination of fatalities.

More information about the proposed EU rules can be read in the European Commission Press Release.