CARS WILL, by law, have to feature new stability control systems that attempt to prevent cars from skidding along with tyre technology that lowers fuel consumption by 2011 under new EU legislation voted on by the European parliament in Strasbourg this week.
Estimates suggest that the new mandatory technology may push the cost of new cars up by as much as €300, particularly the small cars that currently lack such safety features.
The new rules also require changes to tyres to be introduced that will significantly help to lower fuel consumption.
“We are going to improve road safety in Europe,” said Andreas Schwab, a German MEP who steered the legislation through the parliament.
National governments have already signalled support for the rules under a fast-track accord with the parliament, making their final approval a formality in the coming weeks or months.
The EU aims to reduce annual road deaths to 25,000 in 2010, from about 38,600 in 2006, through a series of measures, ranging from new car technologies to common driving-license rules.
The latter suffered a blow last month when the Oireachtas Committee on European Scrutiny heard that there were potential constitutional impediments to the mutual recognition of penalty points between Ireland and other member states – particularly Britain.
The legislation will phase in the mandatory use of electronic stability-control systems on cars between 2011 and 2014 and on tourist coaches and trucks between 2011 and 2016.
The proposed law will require that low-rolling resistance tyres and tyre pressure-monitoring systems be fitted on all cars from 2012.
In addition, the rules will force trucks to be equipped with advanced emergency braking systems and lane-departure warning systems from 2013.
– Bloomberg News