eSafety Support and MEP host cocktail in European Parliament

26 February 2008, eSafety Cocktail ferments discussion among European decision makers on the “Intelligent Car Initiative”.

Mrs Zita Gurmai

eSafety Support, the European Commission funded project supporting the eSafety initiative to halve the number of fatalities on Europe’s roads by 2010, in addition to offering the cocktail evening on 26 February 2008 in the European Parliament on the occasion of the first debate of the report on the "First Intelligent Car" in the Transport Committee of the European Parliament, manned a popular stand with information and an interactive car media tool. The aim of the event was to draw attention on how to make European roads and mobility safer, cleaner and smarter.

"As responsible European decision makers, we can possibly have one priority: human life." opened Mrs. Zita Gurmai. The issues she highlighted were; affordability of the intelligent transport systems and the clear and understandable information for the consumers on what they are purchasing. She also emphasised that a step-by-step approach is required: intelligent cars also need the support of an intelligent infrastructure but the "intelligent road" is not yet ready.  A new car is not designed, produced and tested overnight.

From left to right: Mr Hermann Meyer, Dr Rosalie Zoebel,   Mrs Zita Gurmai, Mr Dieter-Lebrecht Koch

Mrs Zita Gurmai interviewed by the press

Mr. Dieter-Lebrecht Koch, shadow-rapporteur shared Mrs. Gurmai’s position and stressed that every car should be serially equipped with the most important and most effective driver assistance systems such as "electronic stability control" (ESC), "adaptive cruise control" (ACC) and  "brake assistant" (BAS). Our aim is that "intelligent cars" be fitted with the emergency call system "eCall", which dramatically cuts down the emergency response times, thus saving lives. But we must not forget that "intelligent cars" also need an intelligent infrastructure and intelligent drivers!

ERTICO – ITS Europe CEO Hermann Meyer congratulated the Commission on the ongoing success of the “Intelligent Car Initiative” and thanked the Parliament for its activities: “the support of the EU institutions is vital for the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems and Services, which will have a huge impact on mobility and its environmental and safety performance.”

Dr. Rosalie Zobel, Director, Directorate-General Information Society and Media welcomed Mrs. Gurmai's report on behalf of the European Commission, feeling that it captures very well the key issues brought forward in the Commission’s First Intelligent Car Report. Dr. Zobel reiterated the Commission’s commitment to using ICT for improving road safety and energy efficiency in transport. “Today we were especially pleased by the support expressed by the Committee to Mrs. Gurmai's report and also to the Commission for promoting something new, important and innovative. I will take this message to Commissioner Viviane Reding, who as we all know, is an avid supporter of the Intelligent Car Initiative and its two main road safety aims of achieving 100% deployment of ESC and eCall in Europe." With the European Member States in mind she continued: "Let's act together, and act now."

  eSafety Support Stand                                                         eSafety Support staff promoting eSafety

For further information regarding eSafety, please visit the eSafety Support website or contact the eSafety Support office at info@esafetysupport.org

Invitation

.pdf (19 KB)

Presentations

Welcome Address/Keynote addresses

Title of the presentation	Speaker	Presentation
Keynote address	Mrs Zita Gurmai	.pdf (15 KB)

Related Documents
Draft report on Intelligent Car Initiative - Zita Gurmai                                                          .pdf (121 KB)

From left to right:      Mrs Zita Gurmai, Mr Dieter-Lebrecht Koch