#RoadSafety - Die parlement keur EU-reëls goed wat lewensreddende tegnologie in voertuie vereis

“This law is paving the way to save thousands of lives in the coming years. Our focus was always on the safety of road users, especially vulnerable ones. The additional obligatory equipment for cars, trucks and buses will help to save people’s lives,” said Róża Thun (EPP, PL), who steered this legislation through Parliament. The provisional deal with EU ministers was reached on 26 March.

Voertuie wat beter toegerus is om ongelukke te voorkom

The advanced systems that will have to be fitted in almal new vehicles are: intelligent speed assistance; alcohol interlock installation facilitation; driver drowsiness and attention warning; advanced driver distraction warning; emergency stop signal; reversing detection; and event data recorder ('Black Box').

The intelligent speed assistance (ISA) system could reduce fatalities on EU roads by 20%, according to estimates. “ISA will provide a driver with feedback, based on maps and road sign observation, always when the speed limit is exceeded. We do not introduce a speed limiter, but an intelligent system that will make drivers fully aware when they are speeding. This will not only make all of us safer, but also help drivers to avoid speeding tickets,” Thun said.

For passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, it will also be mandatory to have an emergency braking system (already compulsory for lorries and buses), as well as an emergency lane-keeping system.

Most of these technologies and systems are due to become mandatory as from May 2022 for new models and as from May 2024 for existing models.

advertensie

Vragmotors en busse veiliger vir fietsryers en voetgangers

Trucks and buses will have to be designed and built to make vulnerable road users, such as cyclists and pedestrians, more visible to the driver (so-called “direct vision”). Those vehicles will have to be equipped with advanced features to reduce “to the greatest possible extent the blind spots in front and to the side of the driver”, says the text.

Direct vision technology should be applied to new models as from November 2025 and for existing models from November 2028.

Verbeterde botsingstoetse en voorruite

Die nuwe reëls verbeter ook passiewe veiligheidsvereistes, insluitend botsingstoetse (voor en aan die kant), sowel as windskerms om die erns van beserings vir voetgangers en fietsryers te versag. Die goedkeuring van bande sal ook verbeter word om verslete bande te toets.

Volgende stappe

The regulation, approved by Parliament with 578 votes to 30, and 25 abstentions, will now be submitted for approval to the EU Council of Ministers.

In 2018, around 25,100 people died on EU roads and 135,000 were seriously injured, according to voorlopige syfers published by the Commission.