Type-approval requirements for motor vehicles and their trailers, and systems, components and separate technical units: general safety and the protection of vehicle occupants and vulnerable road users

PURPOSE: to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market by introducing harmonised technical requirements concerning the safety and environmental performance of motor vehicles and their trailers.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: this initiative is part of the third ‘Europe on the Move’ mobility package which delivers the new industrial policy strategy of September 2017. The aim is to ensure a smooth transition to a safe, clean, connected and automated mobility system and to create an environment where EU companies can produce the best, cleanest and most competitive products.

Road safety is a pan-European issue that is addressed through an integrated approach. Policies are traditionally structured around three pillars: road users (drivers, pedestrians and cyclists), vehicles and infrastructure. Over the past decades, road safety significantly improved. However, progress in the reduction of road fatalities rates has stalled in recent years. A revised framework better adapted to the changes in mobility resulting from societal trends is necessary.

The current proposal addresses the main problem of persistent high number of road accidents that in turn leads to a high number of fatalities and severe injuries and provides measures to increase safety at vehicle level so as to either avoid and lower the number of accidents or lower the severity of un-avoided accidents to limit the number of fatalities and severe injuries. This proposal has to be viewed in close relation with other initiatives such as, for example, the proposal to amend the directive on road infrastructure safety management.

IMPACT ANALYSIS: the preferred choice, namely, the 'Introduction of a full set of safety features boosting innovation' is expected to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries by 24 794 and 140 740 respectively over a period of 16 years. The expected present value benefit amount to EUR 72.8 billion. Road congestion should also be reduced due to avoided collisions. Lastly, a reduction in vehicle emissions and an improvement in air quality should also be achieved.

CONTENT: the proposal for a Regulation aims to introduce harmonised technical requirements concerning the safety and environmental performance of motor vehicles and their trailers. In general, it refers to the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles, since both Regulations share a compatible time line for their application.

In particular, the proposal aims to:

• extends the scope of the currently applicable requirement to fit passenger cars with a tyre pressure monitoring system to cover all vehicle categories;
• mandates a range of advanced vehicle safety features for all vehicles (e.g. the intelligent speed assistance; driver drowsiness and attention monitoring/distraction recognition systems; reversing detection; alcohol interlock installation facilitation).

The proposal also lays down specific requirements:

• for cars and vans, including a requirement that they be equipped with an event (accident) data recorder and designed and constructed with an enlarged head impact protection zone for vulnerable road users;
• for frontal protection systems;
• for trucks and buses, in particular by requiring them to be equipped with a system for detecting and warning the presence of vulnerable road users in the immediate vicinity of the front and nearside of the vehicle and to be designed and constructed in such a way so as to improve the visibility of vulnerable road users from driver's seat;
• for hydrogen-powered vehicles: Annex V contains the requirements for the qualification of materials used for hydrogen systems and their components;
• for automated vehicles: the proposal lays down specific requirements for automated vehicles and, in particular provides a list of areas of safety, for which detailed rules and technical provisions need to be further developed as a basis for the deployment of automated vehicles.

The Commission believes that mandating advanced safety features for vehicles will help the drivers to gradually get accustomed to the new features and will enhance public trust and acceptance in the transition toward autonomous driving.