At the end of 2019, the European Union set the course for new car safety. A strategy that includes different measures, in the form of safety assistants and driving aids that manufacturers must gradually incorporate every two years, and about which we will tell you the latest news.
The European Union stood firm against manufacturers two years ago. The commission in charge drew up the guidelines for a road safety strategy plagued with important novelties, at the rate of new safety assistants and driving aids that are required to be implemented every two years. An interesting General safety regulations of which we already know that the new Toyota GR 86 will not fully comply.
A new regulation that It will be mandatory in all the countries of the Old Continent as of July 6, 2022. The date on which all vehicles registered for the first time must have a series of systems that will help reduce road deaths, and further protect the lives of occupants. Thus, in this first stage “A” -of the four planned- cars, and light commercial vehicles, must have three advanced driving assistants: the Intelligent speed assist, lane departure warning and tire pressure monitoring system.
The new European General Safety Regulation has 4 phases
Trucks and buses are not exempt, and they are also in the regulations, so from this date they must have emergency braking systems, capable of detecting a possible frontal collision with a stationary or moving vehicle, and brake the vehicle.
The second batch of measures for all existing types of new vehicles will take effect just two years later, on July 6, 2024. The package will comprise two other aids, the Lane Keeping Assist with Emergency Stop and the Event Recorder, the famous «Black Box». In addition, commercials, trucks and buses will take an important step forward by counting on the monitoring of standard tires -including trailers with a maximum authorized mass greater than 3.5 tons- and also with advanced emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection.
The measures classified as “C” will enter into force on July 7, 2026 for existing types, and two years before they must be included in the rest of the models. Technologies that the industry is practically advancing. For example, there are already several models that have advanced emergency braking, with immediate detection and arrest of pedestrians and cyclists. But a more advanced function will also be added able to recognize not only driver fatigue and drowsiness, but distractions as well.
In this measure is where the new Toyota GR 86 has “slipped”, since it not only includes electronics, but also other types of measures that are precisely those that refer to a complete redesign process. And is that cars and light commercials shall be designed to offer extended head impact protection for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, to reduce the injuries of these.
The fourth security measure will be mandatory on January 7, 2029. The one classified as “D” is only intended for existing types of trucks and buses, which must have a black box that will record everything that happens on board, when a traffic accident occurs. These models will also feature new front and side visibility, which will reduce blind spots.