Trust renews call for action on vehicle safety as part of Road Safety Week

At the start of Road Safety Week, The Road Safety Trust is renewing its call for the Government to mandate a number of important safety features on all new vehicles.

Last month, the Trust was among a coalition of nearly 50 road safety organisations and individuals, led by Brake, who submitted a letter to transport secretary Heidi Alexander MP, urging the Government to adopt the latest Vehicle General Safety Regulation (GSR) updates into the GB Type Approval Scheme.

In July 2022, under the Vehicle General Safety Regulation, a number of important vehicle safety features became mandatory for all new vehicles in the EU, including advanced emergency braking, intelligent speed assistance and attention warning in case of driver drowsiness.

These safety features can play a significant role in improving road safety, helping to prevent crashes and protect drivers and their passengers, as well as other road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.

The Vehicle General Safety Regulation also includes key measures that enhance vehicle crash performance and will significantly improve the protection of women and the elderly in the event of a collision – providing fairer and more equitable transport.

Road safety experts have estimated that adopting the Vehicle General Safety Regulation in Britain could prevent more than 1,700 deaths and 15,000 serious injuries over 16 years, saving up to £7 billion in health costs if the full package of measures were to be fully implemented.

These features are already required as standard in the EU and are now being rolled out in Northern Ireland, creating a safety gap for drivers and road users in Britain.

In its letter to Heidi Alexander MP, the coalition highlights that, with every day of delay, another five people die on UK roads, in collisions that may have been prevented if important vehicle safety features were available and active.

The letter, which has now been signed by nearly 50 organisations and individuals, states: “The question is no longer whether we should act, but when, and we believe that moment is now.”

Ruth Purdie OBE, Chief Executive of The Road Safety Trust, said: “We have a responsibility to do everything we can to prevent death and serious injuries on our roads. There should be no excuse for any new vehicle to not be as safe as it can be.

“Cars built in Europe have been mandatorily fitted with the latest, lifesaving vehicle safety technology for the past three years. It’s about time the UK followed suit and raised the standards for safety in our vehicles and help save lives.

The Road Safety Trust is an independent grant-giving trust supporting projects and research that make UK roads safer for all road users.

The Trust is highlighting the issue of vehicle safety features to mark the start of Road Safety Week 2025 (16-22 November).

Road Safety Week is a national campaign run by road safety charity Brake, to raise awareness of the impact of road death and injury and call for key measures to make roads safer.

This year, Brake has chosen to shine a spotlight on the importance of safe vehicles that are designed to prevent crashes, and to cause less harm if they do crash. Safe vehicles are a vital component of the Safe Systems approach to road safety – a shared approach to prevent death and serious injury from road crashes.

Throughout the week, The Road Safety Trust will be sharing updates on several projects relating to the safe vehicles theme.

The best place to follow these updates is via the Trust’s LinkedIn page.