Latest news with #EuropeanFederationforTransportandEnvironment
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Study: Rising bonnet heights in Europe raise risks for pedestrians
The rising popularity of larger cars such as SUVs in Europe is driving up the height of car bonnets, raising concerns about road safety - especially for children - according to a report by the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E). Higher front ends reduce drivers' ability to see small children directly in front of the vehicle, the Brussels-based NGO warned. In accidents, SUVs and pick-up trucks tend to hit adult pedestrians above the centre of gravity, often impacting vital organs and increasing the likelihood that victims are thrown forward and run over. In contrast, smaller cars strike lower on the body, making it more likely that pedestrians fall onto the bonnet and roll off to the side, improving chances of survival. The average bonnet height in the European Union and United Kingdom has increased by 0.5 centimetres annually since 2010, reaching 83.4 centimetres in 2024, T&E said. Nearly half of all newly registered vehicles now have bonnet heights exceeding 85 centimetres. A cited study based on Belgian data found that raising bonnet height from 80 to 90 centimetres increases the risk of death for pedestrians and cyclists in case of an accident by more than 25%. The growing heights of bonnets is mainly due to the increasing popularity of SUVs and off-road vehicles. These two segments accounted for more than 40% of all new registrations in Germany last year, according to the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA). As of January 1 this year, approximately 6.6 million SUVs were registered in Germany, a nearly 10% annual increase. SUVs now make up more than 13% of all cars registered in Germany. German experts say larger vehicles offer better protection for occupants, but increase injury risks for others due to their mass and shape. However, the German Insurers Accident Research group (UDV) urged caution in interpreting the findings. While bonnet height can be a risk factor, injury severity also depends on speed, vehicle design, and use of driver-assistance systems, it said.
Gulf Today
21-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Germany's infrastructure push needs more than money
Clement Kasser, Agence France-Presse As construction crews using heavy excavators demolished a major highway bridge in Berlin, pensioner Guido, like many Germans, greeted the dusty spectacle with grim satisfaction. "For once, it was very quick, it took about a month," said the 65-year-old, who only gave his first name, adding that "we're not used to our projects going according to plan". A crack first appeared a decade ago in a support structure of the concrete and steel bridge built in 1963 that forms part of the capital city's busy A100 ring road. After the crack recently widened alarmingly, work to take down the bridge finally started in March, leaving piles of rubble below. Thousands watching the demolition on an internet livestream were happy to see the start of a multi-million-euro renovation project but were upset it took so long. The case is symptomatic of a problem facing the world's third-biggest economy: an enormous backlog of crumbling infrastructure that needs replacing at a cost of hundreds of billions. Thousands of roads and bridges, many from the 1960s and 1970s, are reaching the end of their lifespans, and little has been done for years as governments have shied away from major spending. Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to give Europe's top economy a facelift that is also set to include new railway tracks, school buildings and telecom lines. Even before he took office, his coalition managed to have the previous parliament pass a gigantic 500-billion-euro ($563 billion) infrastructure fund dubbed a spending "bazooka". After years of fiscal restraint, Germans are crying out for action: an end to patchy mobile phone signals, late trains, slow internet and potholed roads. A dramatic wake-up call came in September, when a 400-metre-long (1,300-foot-long) bridge collapsed in the eastern city of Dresden, with large sections crashing into the Elbe river. Luckily it happened overnight, averting a potentially deadly disaster, but the incident made Germany's infrastructure malaise a major election campaign theme. Germany's bridges need 100 billion euros' worth of repairs and upgrades, according to the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E). Along German motorways and major roads, one third of bridges need to be reconstructed entirely, said the Brussels-based group. The need is all the more pressing since the last government "embellished" progress, according to a report from the Federal Court of Audit, which found that just 40 percent of bridge renovations planned for 2024 were actually completed. The new government's fund, intended to be spent over 12 years, should help — but many local politicians aren't holding their breath. "Money alone solves nothing," scoffed Steffen Scheller, mayor of the eastern town of Brandenburg an der Havel, an hour's drive from Berlin. Scheller is hoping for 90 million euros from the fund but said there is another, major problem: "We have a shortage of qualified project managers and engineers." Bureaucracy can also slow down the process, he said. A new bridge was built in 2023 over a congested level crossing outside of the city, but has stood unused since. Before it can open, safety barriers must be built. But the project was pushed back to 2026 after some companies complained that proper procedure had not been followed in the tender process. "I've given up all hope of ever using the bridge," said motorist Fransiska, stuck in a traffic jam caused by the closure. The 38-year-old hospital worker said her commute takes about an hour longer than it used to. Most of the town's 70 bridges were built back in East Germany's communist days, using substandard steel. Several of them are now closed to heavy goods vehicles, causing problems as they reroute. Brandenburgers are particularly distraught at the delay in rebuilding a bridge in the town centre that had been promised for 2022. The delay means "local business really struggles with transport" while the town faces higher pollution, Scheller said. Benedikt Heyl, author of the T&E report, said Merz had demonstrated "ambition" to tackle the problem. But Heyl said the new transport minister, Patrick Schnieder, should do better than renovate the 4,000 bridges he has promised by 2030. Merz should put "fanciful projects" for new motorways on pause, Heyl said, and work on the basics, such as making sure construction companies have long-term contracts that allow them to plan for the future. First of all, he said, the central government must take a thorough stocktake of the scale of the problem. "The data is often very poor," Heyl said. "Local authorities often know how bridges are doing. But nobody has an overview at the national level."
Local Germany
21-05-2025
- Business
- Local Germany
Germany's infrastructure push needs more than money
As construction crews using heavy excavators demolished a major highway bridge in Berlin, pensioner Guido, like many Germans, greeted the dusty spectacle with grim satisfaction. "For once, it was very quick, it took about a month," said the 65-year-old, who only gave his first name, adding that "we're not used to our projects going according to plan". A crack first appeared a decade ago in a support structure of the concrete and steel bridge built in 1963 that forms part of the capital city's busy A100 ring road. After the crack recently widened alarmingly, work to take down the bridge finally started in March, leaving piles of rubble below. Thousands watching the demolition on an internet livestream were happy to see the start of a multi-million-euro renovation project but were upset it took so long. The case is symptomatic of a problem facing the world's third-biggest economy: an enormous backlog of crumbling infrastructure that needs replacing at a cost of hundreds of billions. Thousands of roads and bridges, many from the 1960s and 1970s, are reaching the end of their lifespans, and little has been done for years as governments have shied away from major spending. Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to give Europe's top economy a facelift that is also set to include new railway tracks, school buildings and telecom lines. Even before he took office, his coalition managed to have the previous parliament pass a gigantic 500-billion-euro infrastructure fund dubbed a spending "bazooka" . Wake-up call After years of fiscal restraint, Germans are crying out for action: an end to patchy mobile phone signals, late trains, slow internet and potholed roads. A dramatic wake-up call came in September, when a 400-metre-long bridge collapsed in the eastern city of Dresden , with large sections crashing into the Elbe river. Advertisement Luckily it happened overnight, averting a potentially deadly disaster, but the incident made Germany's infrastructure malaise a major election campaign theme. Germany's bridges need 100 billion euros' worth of repairs and upgrades, according to the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E). Along German motorways and major roads, one third of bridges need to be reconstructed entirely, said the Brussels-based group. The need is all the more pressing since the last government "embellished" progress, according to a report from the Federal Court of Audit, which found that just 40 percent of bridge renovations planned for 2024 were actually completed. The new government's fund, intended to be spent over 12 years, should help -- but many local politicians aren't holding their breath. "Money alone solves nothing," scoffed Steffen Scheller, mayor of the eastern town of Brandenburg an der Havel, an hour's drive from Berlin. Scheller is hoping for 90 million euros from the fund but said there is another, major problem: "We have a shortage of qualified project managers and engineers." READ ALSO: The German industries that would fall apart without immigration Bureaucracy can also slow down the process, he said. A new bridge was built in 2023 over a congested level crossing outside of the city, but has stood unused since. Before it can open, safety barriers must be built. But the project was pushed back to 2026 after some companies complained that proper procedure had not been followed in the tender process. 'Fanciful projects' "I've given up all hope of ever using the bridge," said motorist Fransiska, stuck in a traffic jam caused by the closure. The 38-year-old hospital worker said her commute takes about an hour longer than it used to. Most of the town's 70 bridges were built back in East Germany's communist days, using substandard steel. Several of them are now closed to heavy goods vehicles, causing problems as they reroute. Advertisement Brandenburgers are particularly distraught at the delay in rebuilding a bridge in the town centre that had been promised for 2022. The delay means "local business really struggles with transport" while the town faces higher pollution, Scheller said. Benedikt Heyl, author of the T&E report, said Merz had demonstrated "ambition" to tackle the problem. But Heyl said the new transport minister, Patrick Schnieder, should do better than renovate the 4,000 bridges he has promised by 2030. Merz should put "fanciful projects" for new motorways on pause, Heyl said, and work on the basics, such as making sure construction companies have long-term contracts that allow them to plan for the future. First of all, he said, the central government must take a thorough stocktake of the scale of the problem. "The data is often very poor," Heyl said. "Local authorities often know how bridges are doing. But nobody has an overview at the national level."
France 24
21-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Germany's infrastructure push needs more than money
"For once, it was very quick, it took about a month," said the 65-year-old, who only gave his first name, adding that "we're not used to our projects going according to plan". A crack first appeared a decade ago in a support structure of the concrete and steel bridge built in 1963 that forms part of the capital city's busy A100 ring road. After the crack recently widened alarmingly, work to take down the bridge finally started in March, leaving piles of rubble below. Thousands watching the demolition on an internet livestream were happy to see the start of a multi-million-euro renovation project but were upset it took so long. The case is symptomatic of a problem facing the world's third-biggest economy: an enormous backlog of crumbling infrastructure that needs replacing at a cost of hundreds of billions. Thousands of roads and bridges, many from the 1960s and 1970s, are reaching the end of their lifespans, and little has been done for years as governments have shied away from major spending. Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to give Europe's top economy a facelift that is also set to include new railway tracks, school buildings and telecom lines. Even before he took office, his coalition managed to have the previous parliament pass a gigantic 500-billion-euro ($563 billion) infrastructure fund dubbed a spending "bazooka". Wake-up call After years of fiscal restraint, Germans are crying out for action: an end to patchy mobile phone signals, late trains, slow internet and potholed roads. A dramatic wake-up call came in September, when a 400-metre-long (1,300-foot-long) bridge collapsed in the eastern city of Dresden, with large sections crashing into the Elbe river. Luckily it happened overnight, averting a potentially deadly disaster, but the incident made Germany's infrastructure malaise a major election campaign theme. Germany's bridges need 100 billion euros' worth of repairs and upgrades, according to the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E). Along German motorways and major roads, one third of bridges need to be reconstructed entirely, said the Brussels-based group. The need is all the more pressing since the last government "embellished" progress, according to a report from the Federal Court of Audit, which found that just 40 percent of bridge renovations planned for 2024 were actually completed. The new government's fund, intended to be spent over 12 years, should help -- but many local politicians aren't holding their breath. "Money alone solves nothing," scoffed Steffen Scheller, mayor of the eastern town of Brandenburg an der Havel, an hour's drive from Berlin. Scheller is hoping for 90 million euros from the fund but said there is another, major problem: "We have a shortage of qualified project managers and engineers." Bureaucracy can also slow down the process, he said. A new bridge was built in 2023 over a congested level crossing outside of the city, but has stood unused since. Before it can open, safety barriers must be built. But the project was pushed back to 2026 after some companies complained that proper procedure had not been followed in the tender process. 'Fanciful projects' "I've given up all hope of ever using the bridge," said motorist Fransiska, stuck in a traffic jam caused by the closure. The 38-year-old hospital worker said her commute takes about an hour longer than it used to. Most of the town's 70 bridges were built back in East Germany's communist days, using substandard steel. Several of them are now closed to heavy goods vehicles, causing problems as they reroute. Brandenburgers are particularly distraught at the delay in rebuilding a bridge in the town centre that had been promised for 2022. The delay means "local business really struggles with transport" while the town faces higher pollution, Scheller said. Benedikt Heyl, author of the T&E report, said Merz had demonstrated "ambition" to tackle the problem. But Heyl said the new transport minister, Patrick Schnieder, should do better than renovate the 4,000 bridges he has promised by 2030. Merz should put "fanciful projects" for new motorways on pause, Heyl said, and work on the basics, such as making sure construction companies have long-term contracts that allow them to plan for the future. First of all, he said, the central government must take a thorough stocktake of the scale of the problem. "The data is often very poor," Heyl said. "Local authorities often know how bridges are doing. But nobody has an overview at the national level."
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Germany's infrastructure push needs more than money
As construction crews using heavy excavators demolished a major highway bridge in Berlin, pensioner Guido, like many Germans, greeted the dusty spectacle with grim satisfaction. "For once, it was very quick, it took about a month," said the 65-year-old, who only gave his first name, adding that "we're not used to our projects going according to plan". A crack first appeared a decade ago in a support structure of the concrete and steel bridge built in 1963 that forms part of the capital city's busy A100 ring road. After the crack recently widened alarmingly, work to take down the bridge finally started in March, leaving piles of rubble below. Thousands watching the demolition on an internet livestream were happy to see the start of a multi-million-euro renovation project but were upset it took so long. The case is symptomatic of a problem facing the world's third-biggest economy: an enormous backlog of crumbling infrastructure that needs replacing at a cost of hundreds of billions. Thousands of roads and bridges, many from the 1960s and 1970s, are reaching the end of their lifespans, and little has been done for years as governments have shied away from major spending. Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to give Europe's top economy a facelift that is also set to include new railway tracks, school buildings and telecom lines. Even before he took office, his coalition managed to have the previous parliament pass a gigantic 500-billion-euro ($563 billion) infrastructure fund dubbed a spending "bazooka". - Wake-up call - After years of fiscal restraint, Germans are crying out for action: an end to patchy mobile phone signals, late trains, slow internet and potholed roads. A dramatic wake-up call came in September, when a 400-metre-long (1,300-foot-long) bridge collapsed in the eastern city of Dresden, with large sections crashing into the Elbe river. Luckily it happened overnight, averting a potentially deadly disaster, but the incident made Germany's infrastructure malaise a major election campaign theme. Germany's bridges need 100 billion euros' worth of repairs and upgrades, according to the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E). Along German motorways and major roads, one third of bridges need to be reconstructed entirely, said the Brussels-based group. The need is all the more pressing since the last government "embellished" progress, according to a report from the Federal Court of Audit, which found that just 40 percent of bridge renovations planned for 2024 were actually completed. The new government's fund, intended to be spent over 12 years, should help -- but many local politicians aren't holding their breath. "Money alone solves nothing," scoffed Steffen Scheller, mayor of the eastern town of Brandenburg an der Havel, an hour's drive from Berlin. Scheller is hoping for 90 million euros from the fund but said there is another, major problem: "We have a shortage of qualified project managers and engineers." Bureaucracy can also slow down the process, he said. A new bridge was built in 2023 over a congested level crossing outside of the city, but has stood unused since. Before it can open, safety barriers must be built. But the project was pushed back to 2026 after some companies complained that proper procedure had not been followed in the tender process. - 'Fanciful projects' - "I've given up all hope of ever using the bridge," said motorist Fransiska, stuck in a traffic jam caused by the closure. The 38-year-old hospital worker said her commute takes about an hour longer than it used to. Most of the town's 70 bridges were built back in East Germany's communist days, using substandard steel. Several of them are now closed to heavy goods vehicles, causing problems as they reroute. Brandenburgers are particularly distraught at the delay in rebuilding a bridge in the town centre that had been promised for 2022. The delay means "local business really struggles with transport" while the town faces higher pollution, Scheller said. Benedikt Heyl, author of the T&E report, said Merz had demonstrated "ambition" to tackle the problem. But Heyl said the new transport minister, Patrick Schnieder, should do better than renovate the 4,000 bridges he has promised by 2030. Merz should put "fanciful projects" for new motorways on pause, Heyl said, and work on the basics, such as making sure construction companies have long-term contracts that allow them to plan for the future. First of all, he said, the central government must take a thorough stocktake of the scale of the problem. "The data is often very poor," Heyl said. "Local authorities often know how bridges are doing. But nobody has an overview at the national level." kas-vbw/fz/rmb/rsc
