The European Parliament’s Transport Committee has called for new European Commission legislation to be implemented to make a range of life-saving technologies mandatory.

MEPs are calling for new car safety tech to be fitted as standard.

In a non-binding resolution responding to a report by the European Commission, ‘Saving Lives: Boosting Car Safety in the EU’, adopted today (12 October) in Brussels, the committee said that “more effective measures” are needed to reach a goal of “no fatalities” and called for new cars to be fitted as standard with a range of life-saving technologies including automated emergency braking, intelligent speed assistance and intelligent seatbelt reminders in all seats.

The resolution calls for the legislation to be proposed by the European Commission no later than the first quarter of 2018 and follows the publication last December of a report that details 19 technologies which the European Commission said could decrease the number of road victims and help prevent accidents.

Mandatory safety standards for new cars sold on the European market have not been updated since 2009 when automated emergency braking became mandatory for new lorries but not cars. In the US, carmakers have voluntarily agreed to fit automated emergency braking as standard by 2022.

Antonio Avenoso, executive director of the European Transport Safety Council, commented: “Improving minimum vehicle safety standards is one of the most effective ways of reducing death and serious injury on our roads. Making these proposed technologies mandatory could have as big an impact on safety as the seat belt. But the latest safety upgrades are long overdue. We welcome the strong position taken today by MEPs on this issue and hope it encourages the European Commission to get on with the job of making these proposals become a reality.”