15/03/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 10 March, during question time at the Commission, European Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas called for greater road safety in the countries of the Union, underlining that this is not just relevant for main roads (56% of accidents taking place on country roads) and that security is a responsibility that must be shared by the EU institutions, states, regions and, of course, citizens. The Commission put forward proposals on penalties and on the education of drivers, especially with regard to drink driving and excessive speed. It is necessary, Kallas said, to carry out research in order to better identify drivers under the effect of drugs that could be the cause of accidents. He noted that the use of portable phones by drivers is already banned in some countries. (L.G./transl.jl)