By GB News (World News) | Created at 2025-03-19 17:01:11 | Updated at 2025-03-20 15:42:22
22 hours ago
Labour has revealed it is "actively considering" aligning more vehicle regulations with the EU despite the UK leaving more than five years ago.
It comes after officials confirmed that the Government was looking into adopting the European Union's General Safety Regulations for commercial vehicles.
Speaking in the House of Lords, Transport Minister Lord Hendy said that the Government is reviewing which of the 19 new vehicle safety technologies mandated by the EU would be appropriate for implementation in the UK.
"This is under really active consideration at the moment," Hendy told peers during a parliamentary session that took place earlier today.
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Labour is looking at adopting some of the 19 EU driving regulations for the UK
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The minister indicated that an announcement on which safety features would be adopted is expected shortly. He noted that many commercial vehicles already comply with these regulations due to the international nature of the manufacturing industry.
The GSR was mandated by the European Union in 2022, with UK officials having worked on developing these technologies before Brexit.
Hendy promised to provide a detailed list of the 19 technologies to Baroness Pidgeon, who had questioned whether the Government would adopt the GSR to improve commercial vehicle safety.
The regulations include a range of proven safety features that have been developed to protect both vehicle occupants and other road users. Beyond regulatory requirements, the Department for Transport is a founding member of the Euro New Car Assessment programme.
This organisation provides information on the relative safety of cars and commercial vehicles using a one-to-five-star rating system. Though not mandatory, Hendy explained this creates a "market incentive for manufacturers to develop increasingly safer vehicles."
The minister emphasised that many vehicles already incorporate these safety technologies as manufacturers produce for international markets.
But Baroness Kramer highlighted the urgency of implementing these safety measures, citing concerning statistics about deaths caused by HGVs on British roads. She referenced figures showing "78 road users and 82 vulnerable road users" had been killed in incidents involving heavy goods vehicles.
"People are dying on the roads daily," the Liberal Democrat peer warned, urging the Government to expedite the adoption of new safety protections.Hendy acknowledged the importance of these statistics and promised to send updated figures to the Baroness.
Vehicles are ranked on a scale between one and five to determine how safe they are for UK roads
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When questioned about the Government's approach to vehicle regulations, he confirmed they are "continuing to insist on the trajectory to zero emission vehicles for very obvious reasons."
The minister noted that this policy direction was initiated by the previous Government and provides necessary continuity for manufacturers.
