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Allianz urges enhanced safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists in urban areas, calling for improved safety standards for vans and trucks. The 12th Allianz Motor Day highlighted the urgency to reduce road deaths in European cities, particularly for vulnerable road users. Allianz proposed specific measures to improve safety, such as mandatory safety systems for trucks and vans, and called for regulatory changes to get closer to “Vision Zero”, aiming for zero road deaths by 2050.
Key Highlights:
- 70% of urban road deaths involve pedestrians, cyclists, or motorcyclists.
- One-third of accidents between trucks and pedestrians or cyclists could be avoided with available technology.
- Allianz advocates for advanced driver assistance systems and improved safety measures for vans and trucks.
- Allianz emphasizes the need for a “new seat belt” approach to road safety in urban areas.
At the Allianz Motor Day event, Klaus-Peter Roehler, member of the Board of Allianz SE, stressed the importance of better protecting vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists. Roehler pointed out that 70% of road deaths in urban areas involve pedestrians or two-wheeled vehicles, making cities accident hotspots. He urged vehicle manufacturers, politicians, and fleet operators to act decisively to enhance safety.
Roehler emphasized the importance of implementing advanced safety features on delivery vans and trucks, noting that one-third of accidents involving trucks and vulnerable road users could be prevented with technology already available on the market. He called for mandatory safety systems, such as active braking assistance and improved driver visibility.
Allianz also made specific demands to car manufacturers and legislators, including the harmonization of safety standards across Europe, improved safety equipment for trucks and vans, and mandatory advanced driver assistance systems. Comprehensive data-sharing was also highlighted as crucial, allowing insurers like Allianz to set risk-based rates and provide incentives for safer vehicles.
“To reach Vision Zero, we need, so to speak, ‘a new seat belt’,” said Roehler, drawing on Allianz’s long tradition of advocating for road safety measures, such as seat belts in the 1980s. Allianz’s demands focused on exceeding current legal safety standards and ensuring that vulnerable groups in urban areas are better protected.
About Allianz
The Allianz Group is a global leader in insurance and asset management, serving over 125 million customers in nearly 70 countries. Allianz offers a wide range of insurance services, from property and health to global business insurance, and manages significant assets for both its insurance customers and third parties. Allianz is committed to sustainability and is among the leaders in the insurance industry in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. In 2023, over 157,000 employees contributed to a total business volume of 161.7 billion euros and an operating profit of 14.7 billion euros.
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