UK could see larger vehicles imported that pose ‘genuine risk’ to safety amid Trump trade deal
New cars sold across the UK could be at risk of becoming less safe if a US trade deal fails to meet current EU-approved standards.
It comes after reports found that there remain significant gaps in safety standards between US-market vehicles and those approved for sale in Europe.
Due to the UK remaining aligned with European safety legislation, these are considerably more stringent than US requirements, which would need improving before entering the market.
But as the UK, along with the rest of Europe, faces US tariffs of 25 per cent for the import of foreign cars from tomorrow, Labour could be forced to adhere to Trump’s terms and water down its safety standards to ensure the car manufacturing industry continues to thrive.
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US safety standards have been found to fall short of both UK and EU requirements
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James Nix from Transport & Environment told The Telegraph: “When it comes to protecting pedestrians and everyone else outside of vehicles, the gap between crash standards in the US and Europe is ocean wide.“
According to the group, cars manufactured in the US lack a host of safety equipment, which is standard in Europe, including pedestrian protection requirements, which have been mandatory in the EU since 2003.
Seatbelt reminders have also been compulsory for all vehicles in European cars since 2019, while US vehicles only require them for the driver.
Meanwhile, autonomous emergency braking, described as “the greatest safety advance since the seatbelt,” has been mandatory in the EU and the UK since 2022.
The US planned to make it compulsory by 2029, but experts suggested that the Trump administration had suspended this requirement.
European cars must also have intelligent speed adaptation, fatigue monitoring and emergency calling systems, but none of these are required in the US. However, these have also not been made mandatory across the UK.
The Department for Transport had previously explained: “The UK’s roads are some of the safest in the world and we keep policies under review to help reduce casualties.
“We have commissioned research to look at the benefits and implications of these technologies in Great Britain and will provide updates in due course.”
The US announced 25 per cent tariffs on car imports into the country in March
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However, concerns have been raised that giving in to US demands would set a precedent for other countries and undermine European vehicle safety standards. Crash testing in Europe is also more rigorous, using more sophisticated crash test dummies than those used in America.
Laurianne Krid, director general at FIA, warned: “Most of the crash tests we do don’t test the compatibility of smaller vehicles with much larger ones. Having larger vehicles coming to Europe isn’t going to be great for road safety in general.
“We do know the heavier the vehicles and the fewer the axles that weight is put on, the more damage there is to the infrastructure. There is a genuine risk that some vehicles [deemed unsafe in Europe] might come through. That’s what happens in negotiations. We want to limit the loopholes or whatever might arise from the trade agreement.”
