Around 5,000 of the Dodge Ram model type were registered in 2023, marking an increase of 20% compared to 2022 and leaving around 20,000 of this model alone on European roads [2]. This alarming increase in numbers, coupled with concerns over the poor safety and environmental standards, prompted the organisations to urge the European Commission to take action. 

Vehicles mass produced in Europe must undergo strict safety and environmental testing procedures before being allowed on the roads. The safety requirements took a big step forward in 2019/20 [3] with updates to the Type Approval procedure, incorporating many new safety technologies and measures, including Intelligent Speed Assistance, Autonomous Emergency Braking, and improved impact protection for cyclists and pedestrians. These measures, among many others, will be coming into effect at different times between now and 2026.  

However, imported large pick-up truck models are not obliged to have any of these measures, nor to conform to the EU environmental emissions requirements. They only undergo a very limited procedure under one of the Individual Vehicle Approvals (IVA). While other ‘small series’ vehicles (think sports cars) also benefit from less onerous regulations, their approval is capped at 1,500 vehicles. Large pick-up trucks, however, face no such restrictions under this lax regime.  

Safety concerns

In the US where large pick-up trucks are ubiquitous there are some very serious figures concerning increases in pedestrian and cyclist fatalities. Pedestrian vehicle crash deaths have increased around 80% and cyclist fatalities by around 50% since 2010, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety [4][5].These figures have now reached their highest levels in 40 years. The Ford F-series, Chevrolet Silverado, and Chrysler Ram pickup trucks are now the first, second and third most dangerous vehicles for pedestrians and cyclists [6][7] in the US.   

A Belgian VIAS institute report concluded that “Heavier cars increase the probability of death among vulnerable road users: with an increase of about 300 kg in the mass of a passenger car, the probability of death for vulnerable road users increases by 23%” [8]. Unlike smaller cars that tend to have a more mitigating frontal design, these large vehicles poor design, with a high position, and long, high bonnet, create blind spots and a non-forgiving impact zone. 

EU Commission's reaction to ECF co-signed letter

In the letter to the Commission, ECF and the group of organisations, including Transport and Environment, European Transport Safety Council, consumers’ federation BEUC, Clean Cities, Eurocities, POLIS, and the International Federation of Pedestrians, urged the EU to close this loophole allowing the import of large unsafe vehicles that bypass emissions and safety standards. 

According to Politico [1], the Commission responded, stating “We have observed important volumes of vehicles imported with IVA, and are committed to addressing the issue as soon as possible,” it underlined the importance of “…making sure that the IVA rules are only used for the customized vehicles and individual imports for which they were designed, as opposed to large numbers of mass market vehicles.” The Commission spokesperson also, according to Politico, said it “wants to strengthen the IVA rules, to bring them to a level of protection comparable with that guaranteed by the type approval rules.” 

ECF will await with interest to see how the Commission will respond concretely.