New safety technologies will become mandatory across the European Union, now that political agreement on the revised General Safety Regulation has been reached.

2022 is set for the new safety features to become mandatory. Exception is made for only direct vision for trucks and buses and enlarged head impact zone on cars and vans, which will follow later due to the necessary structural design changes.

The proposed car safety features that will become mandatory from 2022 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. “With the new advanced safety features that will become mandatory, we can have the same kind of impact as when the safety belts were first introduced. 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.”