On 1 November 2012 a basket of new safety requirements for new vehicles which undergo type-approval after 1 November 2012 comes into force across the EU. Measures which become mandatory include safety belt reminders, safety requirements for electric vehicles, ISOFIX child seat anchorages, better protection of passengers against the displacement of luggage in accidents, and tyre pressure monitoring systems. New cars will also have to be equipped with gear shift indicators.
These new features are required under the General Safety Regulation adopted by the EU in 2009, a single regulation which replaced more than 50 directives, and which constitutes, said the EC Vice President Antonio Tajani, Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship on 31 October, “a sweeping simplification of European legislation and reduction of regulatory and administrative burden for the vehicle industry”.
In more detail, the safety requirements made mandatory for new vehicles undergoing type-approval after 1 November 2012 will entail that:
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The driver seat will have to be fitted with a device that will remind the driver to fasten his or her seatbelt by means of an optical and audible warning that will persist even when the car is already moving.
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Electric cars will have to fulfill strict electric safety requirements, ensuring that users cannot get an electric shock from parts in the vehicle or engine compartment.
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Cars will have to be fitted with at least two ISOFIX child seat anchorage points, which have to be fully integrated in the rear seats. In addition, cars will be fitted with new labels, warning against the placement of rearward facing child restraint systems on a seat protected by an active frontal airbag.
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The rear passenger seats in front of the luggage compartment will now have to be made strong enough to protect passengers from the displacement of luggage in the boot, in the event of a frontal collision.
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Passenger car tyres of passenger cars will have to be fitted with an on-board tyre pressure monitoring system detecting loss of air pressure and signalling this to the driver.
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Finally, new passenger cars will also have to be fitted with gear shift indicators helping drivers to achieve better fuel economy.
The above measures will become mandatory for vehicles which undergo type-approval after 1 November 2012, and will become mandatory for all new vehicles sold on the EU market in 2014.
While admitting that significant progress has been achieved in the reduction of road accidents by a combination of measures, the European Commission says these results are not yet satisfactory, and has proposed a new target for 2020 of a further reduction of road fatalities in the EU by 50% compared to 2010.
