What we know about plans for 'alcolocks' and black box recorders in new UK cars

Yahoo

2 days ago

New cars made in Britain may have to be fitted with the technology in order to align with European Union laws - a move manufacturers say will cut costs.
New cars manufactured in Britain may have to be fitted with technology allowing for breathalyser systems and black box-style recorders in order to align with European Union (EU) laws.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has written to car manufacturers, confirming it is working on the basis of a "presumption of alignment" for UK and EU markets, according to The Telegraph.
Manufacturers say the move will cut costs and drive trade with the bloc.
British and EU law were indistinguishable before the UK left the EU, then in 2022, Brussels began phasing in the General Safety Regulation 2 (GSR2), which means the rules have diverged.
These rules mean a number of additional safety features are required on new cars being sold into the EU, including the installation of a breathalyser interface.
These "alcolocks" using a breathalyser interface are not yet mandatory in Britain, and no laws are planned for their introduction into cars being used here.
While Brussels has not demanded the UK align with vehicle safety laws, car manufacturers believe following EU standards will make it easier and cheaper to produce uniform vehicles that can be sold in both the UK and EU markets.
"Following the UK's exit from the EU, differences between UK and EU regulations mean some manufacturers make cars specifically for the GB market," a UK government spokesman said.
"This can add costs to the manufacturing process, which are liable to be passed onto GB consumers, so we're considering aligning with EU car safety regulations to keep car prices down."
An RAC poll conducted earlier this year revealed that 53% of motorists want to see these "alcolocks" fitted to vehicles so drink drivers can't reoffend.
The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) estimated in 2022 that the measures for EU vehicles could cut collisions by 30% and save 25,000 lives across Europe over the next 15 years.
What will change in UK cars?
Since July 2024, all new vehicles in the EU have been pre-installed with an interface allowing a breathalyser-based locking system to be connected to the car, which can stop the vehicle if the driver fails a breathalyser test.
The so-called "alcolocks" are not compulsory in the EU, just the interface on newly-built cars, and alignment would not make this a requirement in the UK.
The UK government is understood to have been consulting the car industry, with no set date for when any newly built cars must comply.
The EU's General Safety Regulation 2 (GSR2), which became mandatory for all new cars in July 2024, also requires all new cars to come pre-fitted with several additional safety systems.
These include the fitting of driver drowsiness and attention warning (DDAW) systems and event data recorders (EDRs).
They also require intelligent speed assistance, advanced driver distraction warning systems, emergency stop signals, reversing detection systems and accurate tyre pressure monitoring.
As it stands, the GSR2 rules apply to cars sold in Northern Ireland, which still follows many EU regulations under the Brexit agreement to avoid a hard border with the Republic of Ireland, which is a member of the EU.
Even though the safety technology is not compulsory in Britain, many manufacturers already install it because their vehicles are destined for the EU market.
Why are new UK cars having 'alcolocks' added?
The UK has recently updated laws to match EU rules on in-car emergency call systems, which automatically contact emergency services after a crash.
The UK is Europe's second-largest car market, after Germany, and manufacturers already develop models tailored to British regulations.
Differences between regulations between the UK and EU mean some manufacturers make cars specifically for the UK market, and essentially, these extra costs could be passed onto British drivers.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which represents many vehicle manufacturers, said the move will keep down manufacturing costs.
Chief executive Mike Hawes said: "With the heavily integrated nature of the UK and European automotive sectors, regulatory alignment supports efficient production, keeping costs down for consumers while retaining the widest possible model choice."
But another reason would be the additional safety features that could save lives in the future.
RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis said: "Since 2022, we've called on the government to mandate all new vehicles be fitted with advanced safety technologies that can make the roads safer, in line with the General Safety Regulation that applies elsewhere in Europe.
"This includes automatic emergency braking and driver distraction warning systems, as well as interfaces that easily allow alcohol-interlocks to be fitted.
"We believe these 'alcolocks', which prevent the vehicle being started if an offender is over a set limit, could in future reduce the number of drink-drive related collisions on the country's roads."
What will the black box recorder and other safety features do?
An alcohol interlock device – often referred to as a car breathalyser – is designed to stop drink drivers from starting a vehicle.
Fitted directly into a car, it requires the driver to blow into the device before the engine can start, and if alcohol is detected above a set legal limit, the car will not start.
EDRs are similar to airplane black boxes – and record critical vehicle data during a crash or near-crash event, including speed, braking, steering and airbag deployment status, helping investigators understand the circumstances of an accident
A DDAW system is designed to detect early signs of fatigue in drivers and provide warnings to help them take corrective action by evaluating indirect vehicle behaviour cues, such as irregular steering or lane departures.