DfT wants views on new vehicle safety rules

The Government wants to hear from the fleet industry before updating the GB type approval scheme with new European and international vehicle safety regulations.

In the past few years, there have been developments in vehicle regulations in the EU and through the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Regulations (UNECE).

The DfT says it is committed to “using international standards wherever possible” and “adopting a flexible approach to recognising other national standards and testing”. 

To deliver this, the Government needs to make updates to domestic regulation to recognise or mandate new standards developed internationally within the GB type approval scheme.

What is the GB type approval scheme?

Type approval is the process whereby manufacturers of a new model of motor vehicle or trailer are required to test prototypes against a range of safety and environmental standards and obtain approval from a government body prior to placing it on sale.

It aims to ensure that manufacturers are producing vehicles that comply with the safety and environmental laws.

During the UK’s membership of the EU, the procedures for approving most road vehicles, and their parts before they could be sold or registered, were set out in a number of EU regulatory frameworks known as type-approval frameworks.

Now that the UK has left the EU, the DfT says it has the freedom to create a system that meets the needs of manufacturers and consumers in the UK through the new GB type approval scheme.

It was created in January 2023, replacing the existing provisional scheme that had been in place since Brexit, beginning with new models brought to market in February 2024. 

“The aim of the scheme is to provide continuity and minimise costs for vehicle manufacturers,” says the DfT in its consultation. 

“Our intention is to build on this and introduce approval frameworks for other vehicle categories in the future.”

The Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) is the sole type approval authority of the scheme and is empowered to issue the new GB type approvals in accordance with the amended provisions.

Changes to regulations being considered

A consultation, launched yesterday (Monday, November 4) by the DfT, is considering a number of developments in vehicle regulations within the EU and internationally and asks for views on its intention to incorporate these into the GB scheme.

The Government has categorised the proposed changes into priority proposals, where it intends to bring into law as soon as possible after the consultation closes, and a number of areas where it is gathering views before introducing legislation at a later date.  

Included in the priority proposals is the emergency call or eCall system, automated lane keeping systems (ALKS) and the adoption of the Vehicle Energy Consumption Calculation Tool (VECTO) to calculate HGV CO2 emissions.

The DfT is also gathering views on several longer term changes, including looking at how the weight of electric vans is classified and maximum weights when towing.

The GB type approval scheme consultation closes on December 2.