Labour has been urged to implement mandatory vehicle safety standards that match European regulations in a desperate bid to crack down on road fatalities.
The urgency comes as road safety charity Brake prepares for its annual Road Safety Week campaign, which will kick off in November.
The charity‘s annual safety week will run from November 16 to 22, beginning on the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.
This year‘s campaign will focus on the theme “Safe Vehicles Save Lives,” highlighting how modern vehicle technology can reduce casualties on UK roads.
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The Road Safety Week will take place from November 16 to 22 this year
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The road safety charity has called on the Government to adopt the General Safety Regulations already enforced across the European Union and Northern Ireland since July 2022.
These rules require all new vehicles to include advanced safety features that could prevent thousands of deaths and serious injuries on UK roads.
Ahead of Road Safety Week, Brake’s campaign has gained momentum with more than 50 organisations and individuals from the road safety community joining forces to petition the Transport Secretary.
Data shows that the UK’s road safety crisis remains severe, with 1,766 fatalities recorded in 2022, representing a 10 per cent rise from the previous year.
The European Union’s Vehicle General Safety Regulation mandated a range of vehicle safety changes
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Meanwhile, nearly 29,000 people suffered serious injuries, marking an eight per cent increase compared to 2021, according to reports.
Human error was also found to be a key contributor to the majority of road crashes which took place in the UK.
The European Union‘s Vehicle General Safety Regulation, implemented in July 2022, mandates specific safety features for all new vehicles sold in member states.
These regulations aim to protect drivers, passengers, pedestrians and cyclists through advanced technology. While many of these safety features are available in UK vehicles, they remain optional rather than compulsory.
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Brake has now estimated that full implementation of the European safety standards in the UK could prevent over 1,700 deaths and 15,000 serious injuries across 16 years, potentially saving £7billion in healthcare costs.
The mandatory safety technologies being advocated include Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) systems, automated emergency braking, and lane-keeping assistance. These features are designed to compensate for human error and prevent crashes before they occur.
ISA systems help drivers maintain legal speed limits, while automated emergency braking can detect potential collisions and apply brakes automatically. Lane-keeping assistance prevents vehicles from drifting out of their lanes unintentionally.
The charity explained that these technologies already exist and have proven to save lives, with Labour urgently encouraged to include these measures.
European vehicles must include Intelligent Speed Assistance systems
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GETTYA Department for Transport spokesperson told GB News: “The UK’s roads are some of the safest in the world and we keep policies under review to help reduce casualties.
“We have commissioned research to look at the benefits and implications of these technologies in Great Britain and will provide updates in due course.”
The spokesperson explained that any decision to mandate some or all these new technologies “will require consultation and legislation to amend the GB type approval scheme”.
The charity said it expects thousands of schools, organisations, emergency services and community groups to participate in its Road Safety Week with the hope that the campaign will potentially reach millions of people nationwide through events and fundraising activities.