“Black box”, very fast vibration… mandatory equipment on new cars

2024-07-07 07:45:49

In autonomous emergency braking, warning of the driver’s loss of attention or sleep, active lane keeping assistance, or even a data recorder…. A new European regulation imposes eight new safety equipment in newly sold cars from this Sunday.

Introduced on July 7, 2022 for newly approved vehicles, the European GSR2 regulation – meaning General Safety Number 2 – becomes mandatory for new vehicles sold in Europe from this Sunday. The aim of this new regulation is to strengthen vehicle safety requirements. Using sensors, cameras or sound warning devices, the aim of this strategy is to combat driving or speeding distractions.

So, from now on, new cars will have eight new automatic features:

• autonomous emergency braking system
• obstacle detection when reversing
• Warning of the driver’s loss of attention or drowsiness
• active means of providing assistance
• overspeed warning with reading sign
• a tire pressure monitoring system
• a data logger
• already equipped to be able to install unconsciousness

Saving 25,000 deaths on European roads

In general, the arrival of this device is laudable. The objective put forward by the European legislator is to avoid 25,000 deaths by 2038 to achieve zero road deaths by 2050 and to reduce the severity of injuries. In 2022, 20,640 people will die on European roads. Over the years, standards have made it possible to improve road safety such as seat belts, the presence of ABS for braking, airbags, etc.

Extra cost for new cars?

This regulation also provides less obvious standards for drivers on side effects or on hinges for closed doors. As a result, manufacturers who have to review the electrical or structural architecture of their vehicles want to remove certain end-of-life models from their catalog such as Renault Zoé or Suzuki Ignis. New generation models, especially at the top of the range, have already benefited from this equipment for some time because manufacturers have anticipated these new standards and integrated them into the price. The risk is that the price of this new safety equipment, around 300 euros, will be charged extra on entry-level models. While for these cars price consideration is the deciding factor in the act of buying.

The possibility of deactivating the aid

For users, while the increased security is legitimate, these driving aids can become annoying, or even destabilizing, in use. If you don’t use it, the active lane keeping assist can be amazing when the steering wheel hardens and the car backs between lines on its own. Moreover, these sensors can also prove to be a new source of inaccuracy. Many have had to do with a system that will warn you of a speed violation based on a bad sign… So the instructions provide for the possibility of activating some of them, either by programming the on-board computer, or by checking one’s alerts through one after each start.

Data logger only for accidents

One point is more controversial: the data recorder. When it was announced, drivers were afraid that the police could use elements of this “black box” to control speed, driving style, etc. In fact, this system will only be used as part of an accident because it has data such as deceleration or speed of the vehicle at the time of impact. Vehicle details, location data, driver information, date and time of event are not removed. In addition, it is a so-called “volatile” memory which does not record the entire driving history of the vehicle.