The new Transport Secretary has been sent a joint letter urging her to adopt the latest EU vehicle safety laws. The letter has been signed by more than 50 individuals and organisations, stating that vehicle safety should be made a priority.
The new EU laws, GSR2, which came into effect on 7 July, require that all cars be fitted with a range of safety features like intelligent speed assistance and emergency braking. Warning systems for driver drowsiness and emergency lane keeping systems are also mandatory under the new regulations.
It’s predicted that introducing these rules in the UK could prevent more than 1,700 fatalities and approximately 15,000 serious injuries over 15 years, saving more than £7bn worth of health costs. Currently, over 30,000 are killed or seriously injured on UK roads every year, costing the economy £43.5bn annually.
The letter is led by road safety charity Brake and insurance provider AXA UK. Several other highly respected road safety bodies have also signed the letter, including the AA, RAC and the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS). Road safety campaigner Meera Naran MBE has also signed.
Alain Zweibrucker, retail chief executive of Axa UK, said the rules have the potential to save lives if implemented: “Road crashes claim thousands of lives in the UK every year, so we’re calling on the Government to adopt the Vehicle General Safety Regulations to help significantly improve safety for drivers, passengers and pedestrians alike.
“Implementing mandatory vehicle safety features such as Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) and Advanced Emergency Braking (AEB) can help prevent crashes and protect road users.”
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