Brigade Electronics, a global leader in commercial vehicle safety solutions, is urging the UK Government to ensure that any implementation of General Safety Regulation 2 (GSR 2) strengthens – not compromises – the UK’s position as a world leader in vehicle safety standards and protects UK industry. Currently, the European GSR 2 rules mandate additional safety features for new vehicles sold within the EU, as well as in NI under the Windsor Framework.
The UK has long set the benchmark for best practice in commercial vehicle safety through initiatives such as Crossrail, FORS (Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme), and CLOCS (Construction Logistics and Community Safety). These schemes have been recognised worldwide, with CLOCS adopted as a mandatory framework for construction vehicles in New South Wales, Australia. The introduction of the Direct Vision Standard (DVS) in 2020 marked a global first in mandatory safety regulation and has been widely praised internationally.
Brigade warns that a wholesale adoption of European GSR 2 requirements, without adaptation to UK market strengths, risks undermining these achievements and could represent a step backwards in safety performance. While fully supporting the ambition of zero fatalities on UK roads, Brigade highlights that OEM-led, factory-fit solutions can lag behind the pace of technological innovation. Vehicle development and production cycles often take years, meaning systems fitted at manufacture may already be outdated by the time vehicles enter service.
This was clearly demonstrated during Direct Vision Standard (DVS) Phase 2, where factory-fitted GSR-compliant systems permitted detection gaps of up to 0.9 metres along the vehicle side and 0.8 metres at the front—areas large enough to obscure vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. By contrast, Brigade’s aftermarket solutions, including Radar Predict and Front Radar, provide full perimeter detection with no blind spots, offering enhanced safety performance and adaptability as technology evolves.
In light of this, Brigade supports the adoption of GSR 2 into UK legislation but strongly advocates that compliance should be required at the point of vehicle registration, rather than at initial manufacture. This would ensure that the most advanced safety technologies available at the time of deployment can be fitted, delivering the best possible outcomes for road safety. “Mandating fitment at the factory level risks locking in older technologies and limiting the effectiveness of safety systems on UK roads,” said Emily Hardy, International Marketing and Regulations Manager, Brigade Electronics.
Additionally, a registration-based approach would provide UK-based multi-stage vehicle builders and vehicle converters with type approval the opportunity to compete fairly in supplying and installing safety technologies. Mandating factory fitment risks shifting significant volumes of business to original equipment manufacturers based in Europe, impacting the UK economy and reducing competition and innovation among domestic component suppliers.
With the government consultation currently open, Brigade Electronics is urging policymakers to adopt a pragmatic, safety-led approach that encourages innovation, protects the UK’s global leadership in vehicle safety, and supports a competitive domestic supply chain.
