New cars to become even safer from 2022

The European Commission has reached an agreement for a raft of new high-tech safety features to to be fitted to new vehicles from 2022.

The EU’s General Safety Regulation will be revised to make the safety features mandatory after they have been formally approval by the European Parliament and Council.​

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The proposed safety features include:

• Advanced emergency braking (cars, vans)
• Alcohol interlock installation facilitation (cars, vans, trucks, buses)
• Drowsiness and attention detection (cars, vans, trucks, buses)
• Distraction recognition / prevention (cars, vans, trucks, buses)
• Event (accident) data recorder (cars, vans, trucks, buses)
• Emergency stop signal (cars, vans, trucks, buses)
• Full-width frontal occupant protection crash test – improved seatbelts (cars and vans)
• Head impact zone enlargement for pedestrians and cyclists -safety glass in case of crash (cars and vans)
• Intelligent speed assistance (cars, vans, trucks, buses)
• Lane keeping assist (cars, vans)
• Pole side impact occupant protection (cars, vans)
• Reversing camera or detection system (cars, vans, trucks, buses)
• Tyre pressure monitoring system (vans, trucks, buses)
• Vulnerable road user detection and warning on front and side of vehicle (trucks and buses)
• Vulnerable road user improved direct vision from driver’s position (trucks and buses)

“Every year, 25,000 people lose their lives on our roads, and the vast majority of these accidents are caused by human error,” Elżbieta Bieńkowska, the Commissioner responsible for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, said.“Many of the new features already exist, in particular in high–end vehicles. Now we raise the safety level across the board, and pave the way for connected and automated mobility of the future.”

Joshua Harris, Director of Campaigns for road safety charity Brake, commented: “These measures will provide the biggest leap forward for road safety this century, perhaps even since the introduction of the seatbelt.”

The Vehicle Certification Agency has already confirmed said the UK will align with EU regulations on vehicle standards after Brexit.