London, UK: More than 50 organisations and individuals have written a joint letter to the new Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh MP, urging her to prioritise the adoption of tougher, mandatory EU vehicle safety measures, such as advanced emergency braking.
The letter, led by road safety charity Brake and Axa UK, is a request to the new Transport Secretary to adopt the latest vehicle General Safety Regulation updates to the existing GB Type Approval Scheme. The letter stresses that life-saving features, such as advanced emergency braking, intelligent speed assistance, and driver-drowsiness-detection, should be mandatory for all new cars sold in the UK. Experts predict that the full package of measures could prevent over 1,700 deaths and 15,000 serious injuries and save up to £7bn in health costs.
The regulations, which were implemented in full across Europe two years ago, would play a significant role in improving road safety, helping to prevent crashes and protect drivers and their passengers, as well as other road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, the letter argues.
The letter highlights the example of Dev Naranwho was eight when he was killed in a road collision on the M6 near Birmingham.
His mother Meera Naran, a road safety campaigner, said: “Dev was in a stationary car when a lorry collided with it. Advanced emergency braking – which is a system that makes a vehicle automatically brake if a person steps out in front of it or a vehicle in front stops suddenly – could have saved Dev’s life. It is vital that the Government adopts these measures to prevent more families having to go through what ours has.”
As well as mandating driver assistance features, the regulations also cover key measures that improve vehicle crash performance and will significantly improve the protection of women and the elderly in the event of a collision.
Ross Moorlock, chief executive of Brake, said: ““We look forward to working with the Secretary of State to support the delivery of safer vehicles that will protect drivers and all road users and, ultimately, improve safety on roads across Britain.
“This request, to adopt the vehicle General Safety Regulation by updating already existing legislation, is a straightforward, effective way to save hundreds of lives and many thousands of serious injuries from road crashes. The UK played a significant role in the development of the Vehicle General Safety Regulation when it was part of the European Union. 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!”
