The International Federation of Pedestrians (IFP) has co-signed a joint letter led by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), calling on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to firmly oppose the inclusion of US vehicle safety standards in EU-US trade negotiations.
The inclusion of US standards, which are significantly weaker in key areas of road safety, would undermine Europe’s efforts to protect vulnerable road users—particularly pedestrians. The US does not currently require pedestrian crash testing for vehicles, nor does it mandate Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, or direct vision standards for heavy goods vehicles. These measures, already embedded in EU regulations, are critical for reducing harm to people walking in increasingly motorised and urbanised environments.
The ETSC and nine other European transport organisations, including IFP, have already expressed their concern in a letter published in the Financial Times. But as Donald Trump announces a 25% tariff on all imported vehicles, they are worried that the EU will sacrifice its vehicle safety standards to avoid a trade war.
IFP, along with the European Transport Safety Council, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, Region I, ANEC — The European Consumer Voice in Standardisation, Eurocities, FEVR — European Federation of Road Traffic Victims, Clean Cities Campaign, Transport & Environment, POLIS, and the European Cyclists’ Federation, sent a letter to the European Commission, warning against the lowering of product safety, sustainability and environmental requirements.
The letter addressed to Ursula von der Leyen urges the Commission President to not recognise US vehicles as ‘equivalent’ to the European ones, as mutual recognition would compromise automotive safety. EU vehicles have to abide by significantly higher safety standards than their US counterparts, and allowing US-market vehicles to be sold in the EU without aiding the EU’s strict safety standards means exposing European road users to greater risk.
In recent years, the EU has taken important steps toward more people-centred mobility through the Vision Zero strategy and the Safe System approach. These policies acknowledge that responsibility for safety lies not only with individual road users but with systems—vehicle design, infrastructure, and regulation—that must collectively prevent severe crashes. Weakening EU rules to match US standards would be a significant step backwards.
Moreover, as cities across Europe and beyond seek to reduce car dependency, tackle climate change, and promote equitable access to public space, robust vehicle safety regulations are an essential complement to walking and cycling policies. Without safe vehicles, walkable cities cannot thrive.
IFP urges the European Commission and EU Member States to stand firm in upholding and strengthening existing safety standards. Pedestrian lives must not be negotiable in the name of trade. A truly sustainable mobility future depends on regulatory frameworks that put people—especially the most vulnerable—first.
