"In 2005, around 41,600 people were killed and more than 1.7 million injured in European road accidents. Although the number of road fatalities has declined by more than 17% since 2001, greater efforts will have to be made if the European Commission’s target of halving the number of deaths on the roads by 2010 is to be met. To realise the targets for road safety in the future, stakeholders indicate the necessity of integrating research capacities currently existing or emerging as far as possible. For this purpose the general objectives of COVER are to develop a harmonised and consistent direction of research and to accelerate the implementation of research findings of four complementary EU and US initiatives dealing with road and, in particular, vehicle safety. To maximise the benefits gained from the individual initiatives synergies between the projects will be fully exploited by coordinating the exchange and usage of results, joining dissemination actions towards relevant stakeholders, and exchanging of best practices and policies with respect to relevant aspects like test methods and deployment strategies. For the objective of dissemination – both towards relevant high-level stakeholders and the general public – a coordinated approach will be an important factor in providing a clear message and obtaining the necessary visibility. This visibility of research results will be the precondition of the effective deployment in vehicle safety products and enhanced test and evaluation methods Subsequently, COVER brings together coordinators of three FP7 and, relevant for harmonisation with the US, one USDOT initiative. Together with partners from the participating projects the coordinators identified joined research activities needed to enable the introduction of new vehicle safety technologies and related test and evaluation methods in an efficient (cost and time) manner."