An industry letter has been delivered to the new Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh MP, yesterday calling on the Labour government to adopt the latest Vehicle General Safety Regulation updates to the GB Type
Approval Scheme. Around 50 leading organisations have signed the letter including AXA UK, the road safety charity Brake, PACTS, RoSPA, The AA, the RAC, The National Police Chiefs’ Council, ITS UK and the Towards Zero Foundation.
The Vehicle General Safety Regulation was introduced in the EU in July 2022, making a number of important safety features mandatory on all new vehicles. These include advanced emergency braking and intelligent speed assistance. These measures have not been made mandatory in the UK, and it has been estimated that adopting them could prevent more than 1,700 deaths and 15,000 serious injuries over the next 16 years.
AXA UK, together with the road safety charity Brake, instigated this industry letter, which I’ve attached, as we have a keen interest in road safety and the impact these regulations could have on both motorists and the wider road-using community.
Alain Zweibrucker, Retail CEO, AXA UK, said: “Road crashes claim thousands of lives in the UK every year, so we’re calling on the Government to adopt the Vehicle General Safety Regulations to help significantly improve safety for drivers, passengers and pedestrians alike. Implementing mandatory vehicle safety features such as Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) and Advanced Emergency Braking (AEB) can help prevent crashes and protect road users.
“As an insurance provider, we understand the importance of protecting what matters and AXA remains committed to prioritising road safety and promoting responsible driving habits. These regulations have the potential to prevent many avoidable tragedies on our roads and safeguard lives, which is something we wholeheartedly support.”
Ross Moorlock, CEO of Brake, the road safety charity, added: “Every single road death or injury is as devastating as the next for the families and communities affected, and we see this first-hand through the work of our National Road Victim Service, which every year supports more than a thousand bereaved or seriously injured families. For years, our calls for proven measures to stop road crashes and
reduce harm have been ignored. Now, as the new government is forming, we are hopeful for change.
“This request to the Secretary of State, to adopt the vehicle General Safety Regulation by updating already existing legislation, is a straightforward, effective way to save hundreds of lives and many thousands of serious injuries from road crashes. This is simple legislation to pass too – all that is required is a signature!”
