Starting today, the new Vehicle General Safety Regulation goes into effect. It requires a number of advanced driver assistant systems to be installed in all vehicles sold in the EU in order to improve road safety. Additionally, it establishes the legal framework for approving both automated and fully autonomous vehicles. These new safety measures are expected to save over 25,000 lives and prevent 140,000 serious injuries by 2038.
As the General Safety Regulation comes into effect, it empowers the Commission to finish the legal framework for automated and connected vehicles. This summer, the Commission will deliver technical rules for the approval of fully driverless vehicles, making EU a pioneer in the field. These will help to increase public trust, boost innovation and improve the competitiveness of Europe’s car industry.
“Technology helps us to increase the level of safety of our cars. The new advanced and mandatory safety features will further help reduce the number of casualties. Today, we are also making sure that our rules enable us to safely introduce autonomous and driverless vehicles in the EU in a framework that puts the safety of people at the center.” – Executive Vice-President for a Europe fit for the Digital Age, Margrethe Vestager,
Technical rules for automated cars
The Commission is planning to adopt new technical rules for automated and connected vehicles this summer, focusing on automated vehicles replacing the driver on motorways (level 3 automation) and fully driverless vehicles like urban shuttles or robotaxis (level 4 automation). These new UN-aligned rules will be the first international legislation of their kind and set out a comprehensive assessment of safety and maturity for fully automated vehicles before they are placed on the EU market. They will cover testing procedures, cybersecurity requirements, data storage, and more.
