Type-approval requirements for the general safety of vehicles

Briefing 18-09-2018

The European Commission recently issued a legislative proposal to increase the general safety of vehicles. This briefing provides an initial analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the impact assessment accompanying this proposal. The IA provides a thorough problem definition and presents measures to tackle it. However, the link between problem definition and the options could have been more straightforward and the analysis, including numerous simulations and quantifications based on four different models, could have been more transparent and clear. While the IA focuses on the cost for manufacturers on the one side and the societal benefits of prevented or mitigated casualties on the other, it excludes (or only touches upon briefly) other aspects, such as macroeconomic or indirect impacts and the privacy of data as regards the use of new technologies.