Yahoo News All new cars in the EU could have speed restrictors fitted as standard by 2022
New vehicles sold in the EU will be fitted with automatic speed restrictions from 2022, it has been revealed.
The European Transport Safety Council has announced a raft of new measures – including automatic braking, better visibility for lorry drivers, and a device that prevents driving for anyone over the drink drive limit – after politicians agreed a provisional deal which will see the legislation in force in four years.
Antonio Avenoso, executive director of the European Transport Safety Council, claimed the measures could prevent 25,000 deaths within 15 years of being made law.
He said: “There have only been a handful of moments in the last 50 years which could be described as big leaps forward for road safety in Europe.
“The mandatory introduction of the seat belt was one, and the first EU minimum crash safety standards, agreed in 1998 was another.
“If last night’s agreement is given the formal green light, it will represent another of those moments, preventing 25,000 deaths within 15 years of coming into force.”
Along with the so-called Intelligent Speed Assistance, new vehicles will be fitted with automated emergency breaking – which will be able to detect not only pedestrians but cyclists – in a bid to help reduce the number of accidents on roads.
Another new regulation will see new lorries made with increased levels of direct vision, meaning drivers will have a wider field of vision around the vehicle.
The legislation also tackles drink driving, making it easier to retrofit an alcohol interlock device – a technological solution for tackling repeat drink driving in use in a number of EU Member States.
EU lawmakers also plan to fit all new vehicles with ‘black box’ type data recorders to track vital data in the run up to any collisions.
However, the laws are not yet set in stone and are subject to formal votes at the European Parliament.
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Negotiators from the European Parliament and European Commission agreed with representatives of EU Member State governments on Monday night on the final shape of the regulations first announced by the European Commission in May last year.
It will only apply to EU member states, and due to European Parliamentary elections, it may not be possible to pass the bill until the summer.
At present it is not yet known whether the measures will also be enforced in Britain and it is thought this will be subject to the terms of any Brexit deal.
