Brussels, 23/05/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 23 May, the European Commission proposed that all new cars from 2012 have Electronic Stability Control (ESC) systems, to drastically improve vehicle safety. Furthermore, lorries and other heavy vehicles should be fitted with Advanced Emergency Braking Systems (AEBS) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Systems as of 2013. Last year the Commission proposed that passenger cars be compulsorily fitted with Brake Assist Systems (BAS) to protect pedestrians. These measures will reduce fatal casualties in traffic by an estimated 5,000 a year. The Commission also proposed to make it compulsory from 2012 for vehicles to be fitted with low rolling resistance tyres, which considerably save on fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and might also reduce noise, while maintaining high level safety. Low rolling resistance tyres will reduce up to 7 gram of CO2 per km, therefore contributing strongly to the CO2 reduction strategy for cars, adopted in February 2007. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions will further be reduced by the proposed introduction of Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems, also in 2012. The Commission proposal will also sweep away more than 150 existing directives and replace them with one single regulation, which is directly applicable in the EU and refers to harmonised United Nations standards. The full text of the Commission's proposal (in English only) is available at http: //ec.europa.eu/enterprise/automotive/safety/new_package.htm (O.L.)