The government confirmed on 27 July 2026 that 18 vehicle safety technologies will be mandatory on all new mass-produced vehicles in Great Britain.
The list includes blind spot detection, reversing cameras, emergency braking for cyclists and pedestrians, drowsiness warnings, intelligent speed assistance, and tyre pressure monitoring.
Why this consultation happened
Road collisions cost the UK over £40 billion a year. The number of people killed or seriously injured on GB roads has barely moved. Progress stalled. So the government decided to mandate the technology because the evidence says it works.
Is mandating the technology the right move? The evidence says yes.
The consultation, which ran from 7 January to 11 May 2026, received 231 responses from individuals, vehicle manufacturers, road safety groups, insurers and motoring organisations. Most supported mandating the 18 technologies, with approval ratings ranging from 66% to 82% depending on the specific technology.
Support was highest for:
- Blind spot information system (BSIS)
- Tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
- Reversing motion awareness (RMA)
- Direct vision (DIV)
- Pedestrian windscreen impact (PWI) requirements
Views were more mixed on intelligent speed assistance (ISA) and emergency lane keeping systems (ELKS), though support still outweighed opposition in both cases.
What this means for businesses running fleets today
Here is the thing. The mandate applies to new vehicles going through GB type approval. If you run a fleet of vans, lorries or site vehicles today, none of this affects the vehicles currently on your road. The duty of care you have to your drivers does not wait for your next procurement cycle.
A driver who falls asleep at the wheel of a 2019 Transit does not benefit from a 2027 drowsiness warning system.
If you manage a fleet, it is worth asking a few straightforward questions:
- Do your drivers have regular health assessments?
- Are your vehicles maintained to a standard that catches tyre pressure issues before they become incidents?
- Do your risk assessments cover the actual journeys your drivers make?
The technology is coming. In the meantime, the management process is the gap.
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