Starting last week (July 7), new rules regarding active safety features in vehicles, including speed limiters, came into effect across the European Union.
The New Vehicle General Safety Regulation (GSR2) or Regulation (EU) 2019/2144, updates the minimum performance standards (type approval) for motor vehicles in the EU, requiring the addition of several advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
These required systems include intelligent speed assist (ISA), autonomous emergency braking (AEB), driver drowsiness and attention warning (DDAW) and emergency lane-keeping systems (ELKS).
GSR2
Thatcham Research, a UK not-for-profit automotive risk intelligence organization, outlined the regulation in more detail.
Yousif Al-Ani, principal engineer for ADAS at Thatcham Research, highlighted the importance of crash avoidance for future automotive safety, explaining, “Modern vehicles are very good at protecting occupants in the event of a collision through passive safety features such as airbags and crumple zones. However, these have limited benefit to vulnerable road users (VRUs). KSI (killed or seriously injured) statistics among VRUs remain stubbornly high, at more than 11,000 each year. The key to reducing these numbers is through the wider introduction of active crash avoidance systems.”
Al-Ani noted that the UK has not yet adopted GSR2, which vehicle manufacturers will adhere to across Europe. “The technology mandated by this directive is already found in most new cars, and the UK could be at risk of falling behind in automotive safety by not adopting it,” he explained.
GSR2 has been and continues to be implemented in phases:
- Phase One (July 2022): Mandated additional technical requirements for new vehicle models
- Phase Two (July 2024): Will apply to existing vehicle models, requiring ADAS features such as ISA, AEB, DDAW and ELKS
- Phase Three (July 2026): Will expand the scope to include advanced driver distraction warning (ADDW) and additional pedestrian and cyclist AEB
The regulation applies only to vehicles built after the cutoff dates, with no retrofit or software changes required for vehicles built before July 6, 2022, or existing models built up to July 7, 2024.
ADAS systems
ISA recognizes traffic signs and provides an overspeed warning to increase speed limit compliance and reduce collision severity. It uses a forward-facing camera and map data to detect traffic signs and alert the driver when the speed limit is exceeded. ISA can be switched off but will automatically re-enable every time the car is started, as mandated by GSR2.
AEB uses sensors to prevent or mitigate collisions. Studies show AEB reduces car-to-car rear-end collisions by around 50% and car-to-pedestrian collisions by around 30%. ELKS also uses sensors to prevent the vehicle from leaving its lane, and applies corrective steering to avoid collisions.
DDAW monitors driver alertness using a driver-facing camera and alerts the driver if drowsiness or inattention are detected.
Other mandated features include alcohol interlock installation facilitation, event data recorder (EDR), electronic stability program (ESP), emergency stop signal (ESS), reversing detection systems (RD), tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) and cybersecurity measures.
Implications for the UK
Many vehicles sold in the UK will use EU-specification software to avoid the complexity of creating UK-specific variants. Northern Ireland will adopt GSR2 requirements following the EU type approval process, due to the Northern Ireland Protocol. Differences in regulations typically lead manufacturers to cater to the most complex market, making EU-spec vehicles likely to be sold in the UK.
The introduction of GSR2 marks a significant step toward enhancing vehicle safety across Europe by mandating ADAS. The UK’s delay in adopting these regulations, according to Thatcham, could affect the country’s automotive safety standards, highlighting the importance of these technologies in reducing road fatalities and improving overall road safety.