Goodyear Dunlop Signs European Road Safety Charter

Goodyear Dunlop Tires Europe has joined the European Road Safety Charter, a pan-European initiative with the aim to increase road safety across Europe. The signing ceremony took place in Gothenburg, Sweden on October 26, 2009, in the presence of the Swedish minister for enterprise, energy and communications, Åsa Torstensson, representatives from the European Commission and the ERSC Secretariat.

“Enhancing road safety has always been of highest importance for Goodyear Dunlop, with innovative and reliable products and numerous communication initiatives and educational campaigns. By joining the largest road safety community in Europe we want to take our own commitments a step further and help improving the safety on Europe’s roads with more dedicated programs,” said Arthur de Bok, president of Goodyear Dunlop Europe, Middle East and Africa.

In addition to extended campaigns on tyre maintenance and responsible driving, special attention will be given to children, to improve their knowledge of traffic rules and help them to protect themselves on the road. Overall, the initiatives presented by Goodyear Dunlop to the ERSC should reach more than half a million people. The company will also intensify its actions focusing on the road safety of its 70,000 employees.

“For a tyre manufacturer, the most impactful way to contribute to road safety is through the products we develop,” said de Bok, “That is why we focus on innovative technologies, such as RunOnFlat or the recently introduced SmartWear Technology. But education and awareness are crucial as well, so we are looking forward to working with the European Road Safety Charter, as the proven platform to enhance road safety in Europe.”

The European Road Safety Charter is the largest existing road safety platform, encompassing all EU member states. It forms part of the Road Safety Action Plan launched by the European Commission in 2003, through its Directorate-General for Energy and Transport, with the ambitious goal of halving the number of road fatalities on European roads by 2010.

Every year more than 40,000 people die in road traffic accidents in the European Union. According to statistics, one out of three people will be injured in a traffic accident at some point in their lives. Up to the age of 55, traffic accidents are the most common causes of hospitalization. Young people between 18 and 25 years old account for 20 per cent of all road fatalities recorded according to the CARE EU Database on road accidents, and 50 per cent of work related accidents are road accidents on the way to or coming back from the work place (OECD, 2008).

The Charter integrates enterprises, public authorities and civil society. Goodyear Dunlop has already been indirectly involved in the ERSC since 2007 through the participation of its sector association, the European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association.