European roads remain among the safest in the world, yet the toll of injuries and fatalities from traffic accidents continues to be far too high. To address this, the European Union is executing the next critical milestone of its revised General Safety Regulation (GSR II).
While a first wave of safety systems became mandatory for all newly registered cars and vans in 2024, the transition has reached its next phase. As of 7 July 2026, all newly registered passenger cars and light commercial vehicles sold across the EU must be equipped with five advanced, life-saving safety systems, closing previous regulatory loopholes for older models still in production.
The phased implementation of the GSR II allows manufacturers the necessary lead time to develop and refine these technically demanding features before they become a production baseline.
5 Newly Mandatory Life-Saving Technologies
The latest phase of the regulation transitions these five highly advanced safety systems from a requirement only for new vehicle models to a mandatory standard for every single newly registered passenger car (M1) and light van (N1):
- Advanced emergency brake detecting pedestrians and cyclists
- Advanced driver distraction warning system to keep drivers focused
- Better forward vision
- New tests for worn tyres to ensure safer performance
- Expanded safety glass area to protect pedestrians during accidents
Looking Ahead
The implementation of these features marks the midpoint of a larger regulatory timeline.
Looking forward, the European Commission estimates that the full package of measures under the General Safety Regulation could save more than 25,000 lives and prevent at least 140,000 serious injuries by 2038. The next major regulatory deadline is scheduled for 7 January 2029, when the mandatory requirements will expand to include enhanced direct vision standards and advanced event data recorders (EDRs) for heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches.
This systematic integration of passive and active safety systems is a core pillar of the EU's Vision Zero initiative, which aims to bring road transport fatalities down to virtually zero by 2050.
Sources
European Commission, Directorate-General for Communication. (2026, July 8). Safer cars, safer roads: New rules take effect. European Union News. https://commission.europa.eu/news-and-media/news/safer-cars-safer-roads-new-rules-take-effect-2026-07-08_en