Brussels, 03/12/2009 (Agence Europe) - In 2008, 39,000 European citizens died in road accidents. The EU 2001 objective to halve the number of deaths in road accidents by 2010 (i.e. 27,000) will therefore be difficult to reach. The European Commission therefore hosted, on Wednesday 2 December, a conference on the results of the public consultation launched in October and November 2009 preceding the drafting of the European Road Safety Action Programme 2011-2020. Four hundred participants representing all parties interested spoke of their experience in this field. Discussion was on: - the assessment of the results of the current European Road Safety Action Programme (2001-2010); - first results from the public consultation process organised on the next action programme (2011-2020); - the safety of vehicles and infrastructure with focus on the safety of vehicles of the future such as electric cars, eco-driving and on how to adjust infrastructure to different categories of road users; - and the role that citizens can play in improving road safety. European Transport Commissioner Antonio Tajani, who said the EU could not afford to be lax on road safety, explained that the next action programme would show the EU's determination to step up road safety. The transport commissioner said the programme “will also focus on key priorities such as accidents in rural roads (60% of the total number of deaths) and vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and elderly people”. (O.L./transl.jl)