The Brake team welcomed MPs to a drop-in event at Portcullis House on Monday (17 November) to drum up support for the Vehicle General Safety Regulations and spread the message that safe vehicles save lives.
The regulations, which have been adopted in the EU and Northern Ireland, outline a number of safety features that should be built as standard into all new vehicles. They include intelligent speed assistance, automated emergency braking and driver drowsiness monitoring.
This Road Safety Week, Brake is lobbying the government to adopt the regulations in full across Britain. Road safety experts estimate that doing so could prevent more than 1,700 deaths and 15,000 serious injuries over 16 years.
Ross Morlock, CEO at Brake, said: “Last year, nearly 1,000 road deaths involved someone driving above the speed limit or too fast for the road conditions. Safety features like intelligent speed assistance and automated emergency braking can help us slow down, hit less hard if we crash, and reduce the risk of death and serious injury.
“There is no good reason for any new vehicle to be built without this technology. That’s why, this Road Safety Week, we are spreading the message that safe vehicles save lives and asking MPs to back our campaign. Together, we can make vehicles and roads safer.”
A Brake study involving 2,000 people revealed strong support for improvements to vehicle safety. More than two-thirds (68%) of people said they believe advanced emergency braking should be mandatory in all new vehicles, and 67% support mandatory intelligent speed assistance.
Ross was joined at the event by Brake trustees Nick Reed and Meera Naran MBE.
Nick, an independent road and vehicle technology safety expert, said: “Road Safety Week is an opportunity to reflect on where we can improve across the safe system approach to road safety, and I welcome Brake’s focus this year on vehicle technology.
“Implemented and used correctly, this is proven to reduce both the frequency and severity of the crashes that cause death and serious injury on our roads.
“Brake's own research highlights how the public values the benefit these live-saving technologies can deliver. I look forward to working with Brake and its partners to get essential safety technologies into as many vehicles as possible.”
With technology advancing rapidly, maintaining strong safety standards is vital. The General Safety Regulations could provide an essential layer of protection by ensuring that proven, life-saving technologies are standardised across new vehicles, helping to reduce preventable road deaths.
Meera Naran MBE, road safety campaigner
Meera Naran has dedicated her life to advocating for road safety since 2018 when her eight-year-old son, Dev, was killed in a collision on the M6. She believes autonomous emergency braking (AEB) would have saved her son’s life and campaigns for Dev’s Law, which would see AEB fitted on all new vehicles as standard
Meera said: “I’m pleased to support Brake during Road Safety Week. With technology advancing rapidly, maintaining strong safety standards is vital. The General Safety Regulations could provide an essential layer of protection by ensuring that proven, life-saving technologies are standardised across new vehicles, helping to reduce preventable road deaths.
“It is encouraging to see so many experts, academics, politicians and families come together to support this important message. This collaboration towards a shared goal is key to ensuring that effective, evidence-based safety measures are prioritised for the public good.”
Brake was hosted at the Westminster event by David Williams, MP for Stoke-on-Trent North.
He said: “I was pleased to sponsor today’s Road Safety Week drop-in and to support Brake’s vital work. Every serious collision leaves a family changed forever. This Road Safety Week is an important moment to recognise that safer streets require education, enforcement and investment.
“I will continue working with Brake, local authorities and government colleagues to improve infrastructure, protect vulnerable road users, and back the reforms needed to prevent further loss of life and the unbearable suffering endured by families.”
Brake also attended a second Westminster event hosted by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), where MPs and bereaved families urged the government to consider introducing a progressive licensing system for young and newly qualified drivers.
This would see minimum periods for learning, enhanced testing and training, and measures to reduce the risks associated with carrying peer-age passengers and driving at night.
The team rounded off the day with a photocall outside 10 Downing Street, where they joined 11-year-old Roman Osborne to deliver a hand-written letter to the Prime Minister calling for safer journeys to and from school.
Roman was injured after being hit by a van outside his school in February. He and his dad were invited to Number 10 by their MP, Labour Suffolk Coastal MP Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, who has tabled a parliamentary Bill to make roads around schools safer.
Throughout the day’s events, we engaged with 29 MPs about Road Safety Week.
Pictured above (l-r): Nick Reed, independent road and vehicle technology safety expert; Meera Naran MBE, road safety campaigner; David Williams, MP for Stoke-on-Trent North; Luca Straker, campaigns manager, Brake; Ross Moorlock, CEO, Brake.
Road Safety Week 2025 took place from 16 to 22 November. It was delivered by Brake and sponsored by Autoglass, Hastings Direct, Motive and Samsara