Skip advert
Advertisement

Brexit to make UK a “second-hand dealer” in car safety

Head of Global NCAP says leaving EU will turn Britain into a rule taker, not a rule maker, for car safety regulation

Crash test - Chery

One of the world’s leading car safety experts has said leaving the EU will render the UK a “second-hand dealer” in vehicle safety and emission standards.

David Ward, secretary general of the Global New Car assessment Programme (Global NCAP), has said leaving the EU will see the UK “withdrawing from a complex eco-system of vehicle regulation that has hugely improved car safety and saved tens of thousands of lives”.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Brexit offers “no advantages” to UK carmakers, say MPs

Ward - whose Global NCAP organisation promotes vehicle safety and crash-test research, and facilitates cooperation between organisations like Euro NCAP and its worldwide counterparts - wrote on his personal website that Brexit will have “profound implications for the interests of the public and our automotive industry”.

The Prime Minister has previously argued Britain’s membership of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will allow it to continue to set vehicle safety standards post-Brexit. Ward dismisses this position as displaying “woeful ignorance” though, as EU countries block-vote during UNECE ballots on new vehicle regulations.

The UNECE supervises the World Forum for the Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations, which sets regulations for vehicle type approval. Ward points out that “54 governments are parties to an international agreement for ‘type approval’ regulations”, with 38 of them “typically” attending meetings. As 28 of these countries are members of the EU and block vote, Ward says “it is EU decision-making that underpins the adoption of UNECE regulations and not the other way around.”

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

While he concedes that after it leaves the EU, “the UK will be free to exercise its sovereign rights to vote as it likes on new UNECE vehicle standards”, Ward says such instances will constitute “a kind of ‘mini-decision’ to be taken alongside the ‘mega decision’ already taken by the EU.”

Ward’s comments follow warnings that EU country of origin regulations could seriously impact the UK automotive manufacturing scene post-Brexit, and echo reports that indicate the UK’s Vehicle Certification Agency will automatically lose its right to provide type approval after the country leaves the EU.

Responding to Ward’s comments, the Department for Transport told Auto Express that it is “committed to securing the best deal for Britain as we leave the European Union, and will work hard to ensure the UK motor industry and authorities continue to thrive and that Britain’s roads continue to be amongst the world’s safest.”

The DfT’s spokesperson added that they were confident the VCA “will remain one of the world’s leading type approval authorities after we leave the European Union” and that by leaving the EU Customs Union, the UK will be “able to forge new trade relationships with our partners around the world for the first time in 40 years”.

Read about the car industry’s priorities for Brexit, as laid out by the SMMT…

Skip advert
Advertisement

Find a car with the experts

Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k
Kia PV5 Passenger - show front

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k

New entry into the electric people carrier market undercuts the VW ID. Buzz by a significant margin
News
29 Apr 2025
Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price
BMW X7 - front

Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price

German firm’s flagship SUV could never be called cheap but it is exceptional value at £735 a month – making it our Deal of the Day for Sunday 27 April
News
27 Apr 2025
New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645
Kia PV5 Cargo on display at Commercial Vehicle Show - front 3/4

New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645

All-new entry into the van market promises competitive pricing and comes with a range of up to 247 miles
News
30 Apr 2025