Brussels - All new cars in the EU market from mid-2022 will have to be fitted with safety features such as emergency brake systems, lane-keeping technology and drowsiness detectors, after EU states signed off extensive new safety rules on Friday the 8th of November, 2019.

The measures were proposed by the European Union's executive last year in an effort to reduce the number of road deaths, which stand at around 25,000 people annually across the bloc. On top of this, around 140,000 people are seriously injured each year.

New safety features to reduce the number of accidents

All new vehicles must be equipped with a list of close to 30 new features designed to prevent people from driving under the influence of alcohol, record accident data and stop drivers from exceeding speed limits, among other things.

Cars and vans must also have enlarged head impact protection zones, which should mitigate injuries in collisions with people on foot or bike.

Meanwhile, trucks and buses will have to be designed and built in a way that reduces blind spots, and be equipped with systems capable of detecting nearby pedestrians and cyclists.

The plan, initially proposed by the European Commission, was already signed off by the European Parliament.

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