Vehicle safety: auto makers call for rapid adoption of new EU requirements

Brussels, 20 February 2019 – Ahead of tomorrow’s key European Parliament vote on the update of the General Safety Regulation, which governs the safety systems to be included in new vehicle types, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) calls for a rapid adoption of this important piece of legislation.

“The European auto industry is committed to play its role in continuing to reduce road accidents and fatalities,” commented ACEA Secretary General, Erik Jonnaert. “In this context, we welcome the revision of the General Safety Regulation and support a wide array of the safety measures proposed by the European Commission last May.”

These include the requirement that all new car types come equipped with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems, which start braking manoeuvres automatically if a collision is imminent and the driver is not taking any action to avoid it. Other measures supported by the industry include drowsiness and attention detection systems, reversing detection for cars and vans, emergency stop signals, and lane departure warning systems.

Several of these safety technologies have the advantage of addressing multiple types of accidents simultaneously. For instance, accidents related to distraction can also be reduced by AEB and lane departure warning systems. Similarly, AEB will also prevent or reduce the severity of frontal and side crashes, reducing the need for additional measures to address this type of accident. “We call upon MEPs to take these synergies into account,” urged Jonnaert.

ACEA believes that some of the measures proposed by the Commission require further review to ensure a focus on the technologies with the strongest positive outcomes. Regarding vision-related accidents with trucks for instance, a recent study shows that the use of cameras and sensors to increase the driver’s field of vision and to draw attention to the critical area is some 50% more effective in reducing fatalities than re-designing trucks with low-entry cabs.

For all measures under consideration, MEPs should align the introduction time with product development time, allowing at least three years for new vehicle types from the date the regulation has entered into force.

Jonnaert: “While we believe in the huge potential of vehicle safety technology, by itself it will never suffice. We are therefore calling on policy makers to adopt a truly integrated approach to road safety; combining new vehicle technology with better road infrastructure and safer driver behaviour.”


About ACEA

  • The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) represents the 14 major Europe-based car, van, truck and bus makers: BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Ferrari, Ford of Europe, Honda Motor Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, Iveco Group, JLR, Mercedes-Benz, Renault Group, Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen Group, and Volvo Group.
  • Visit www.acea.auto for more information about ACEA, and follow us on www.twitter.com/ACEA_auto or www.linkedin.com/company/ACEA/.

Contact:

  • Cara McLaughlin, Communications Director, cm@acea.auto, +32 485 88 66 47.
  • Ben Kennard, Content Editor and Press Manager, bk@acea.auto, +32 487 39 21 82

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About the EU automobile industry

  • 13.0 million Europeans work in the automotive sector
  • 11.5% of all manufacturing jobs in the EU
  • €374.6 billion in tax revenue for European governments
  • €101.9 billion trade surplus for the European Union
  • Over 7% of EU GDP generated by the auto industry
  • €59.1 billion in R&D spending annually, 31% of EU total
Content type Press release
Vehicle types All vehicles
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