SAFETY and consumer organisations have reacted angrily to new Europe-wide legislation adopted last week that demands pedestrian protection substantially below the level they believe could be achieved.

The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) along with two European consumer organisations claim the new regulations will cost lives.

Consultation took place with the car industry but no safety and consumer organisations were involved.

The Transport Research Laboratory has found the voluntary agreement tests offer 70% less fatal injury protection than the level demanded in the independent EuroNCAP crash tests. A European safety campaigner said: 'This weak legislation is unacceptable and goes against European Union treaty obligations and flies in the face of public interest.'