Road safety campaigners urge Labour to adopt controversial EU safety rules
Wed, 31 Jul 2024
A group of UK road safety organisations is urging the new Labour government to adopt EU regulations that mandate the fitment of in-car safety tech such as intelligent speed assistance and driver drowsiness detection gadgets.
That's despite a recent report showing that 4 in 10 drivers admitting they turn off such ‘annoying’ systems.
The technology is part of the European General Safety Regulation (GSR2), which was implemented across Europe two years ago.
The organisations want the government to adopt GSR2 updates to the existing GB Type Approval Scheme.
Brake and AXA UK wrote the consensus letter to new transport secretary Louise Haigh MP, It has been signed by more than 50 other organisations including the AA, RAC and Honda.
Making the new EU safety tech regulations mandatory in the UK would play a significant role in improving road safety, the letter reads. This would help prevent crashes and protect drivers and their passengers, as well as other road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.
With more than 30,000 people killed or seriously injured on UK roads every year, it calculates the economic cost of road harm totals £43.5bn every year.
By adopting the full package of new tech measures, more than 1700 deaths and 15,000 serious injuries could be prevented over the next 16 years, saving £7bn in health costs.
Brake and AXA UK say they carried out research last year that showed almost 2 in 3 drivers are willing to pay more for safety features that would protect them and their passengers.
More than 2 in 3 added that intelligent speed assistance, advanced emergency braking and driver drowsiness detection should be mandatory for all new vehicles in the UK.
The request to adopt GSR2 by updating already-existing legislation "is a straightforward, effective way to save hundreds of lives and many thousands of serious injuries from road crashes," says Brake CEO Ross Moorlock.
"The UK played a significant role in the development of the vehicle General Safety Regulation when it was part of the EU. Now we are calling for recommendations that we have already made a commitment to. This is simple legislation to pass, too – all that is required is a signature," adds Moorlock.
Earlier this year, a survey found that less than 1 in 5 new car buyers now check Euro NCAP safety ratings. This is despite the organisation becoming ever-more rigorous by insisting on the new safety tech found in GSR2 in order to award a five-star score.
