3638 Vehicle future technology equipment in accordance with EU General Safety Regulations (GSR)

In December 2019, the EU officially published the new General Safety Regulation (GSR), Regulation (EU) 2019/2144, amending the European Whole Vehicle Type Approval Framework Regulation, (EU) 2018/858, published in May 2018, and replacing the previous GSR, Regulation (EC) No 661/2009.

Regulation (EU) 2018/858 lays down the technical and administrative type-approval requirements for motor vehicles for the carriage of passengers (Category M), motor vehicles for the carriage of goods (Category N), and their trailers (Category O).

Over the past decades, developments in vehicle safety have contributed significantly to the overall reduction in the number of road fatalities and serious injuries. The purpose of Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 is to implement specific measures to prevent fatalities and injuries among vulnerable road users, such as cyclists and pedestrians, and to protect other road users outside the vehicle.

Technical progress in advanced vehicle safety systems offers opportunities to further reduce casualty numbers. Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) can be effective in reducing fatalities, decreasing the number of road accidents, and mitigating injuries and damage to other road users.

All ADAS electronic equipment fitted to vehicles transporting dangerous goods must fulfil the mandatory electrical requirements of ADR Part 9 for FL, AT, EX/II and EX/III vehicles used for the transport of dangerous goods and, where applicable, relevant supporting EN standards. In addition, ADAS systems shall comply, where applicable, with the requirements of relevant UK codes of practice and HSE guidance publications relating to road tankers loading petroleum fuels and LPG at terminals operating under the Safe Loading Pass Scheme.

However, due to the range of ADAS safety devices mandated by Regulation (EU) 2019/2144, and the various ways in which these systems may be designed to operate, it is not possible to provide specific guidance for individual ADAS applications.

The purpose of this document is to identify the criteria that all ADAS electrical components installed on vehicles transporting dangerous goods must satisfy to comply with ADR Part 9 and, where applicable, the Safe Loading Pass Scheme.