Morag Mackay, now at Eurosafe, sent me this interesting notice: “On the occasion of the 15th European Consumer Day,  a coalition of twenty-eight European umbrella organisations are issuing a Joint Call appealing to the European Institutions and the Member States to create an EU-funded accident & injury data system under the co-ordination of the European Commission.  Earlier this week EuroSafe reported that 41 million injuries per year are treated in Emergency Departments across the EU (see report ‘Injuries in the European Union’).  Aiming to reduce the number of preventable injuries and also healthcare costs, a broad coalition of European business groups, consumer organisations, standardisation bodies and safety promoters urge the European Commission to found and fund an EU-wide accident and injury data system in a representative sample of emergency centres. They are convinced that such a system would contribute to safer products for consumers, better standards and regulations, and fewer accidents and injuries. Moreover, the cost of creating such a system would be more than offset by reductions in health care costs.”  Editors comment: Much as I welcome growth in interest by the EU in injury prevention, I am not convinced the main emphasis should rest on the creation of a data system, no matter how sophisticated it may be. I assume some readers will disagree and I invite them to explain why I am wrong.