New mandatory lights are visible on the road. This measure, which came into force in July 2024, aims to reduce road accidents, particularly chain collisions.
On the roads, the French have already been able to encounter them. Since July 2024, car manufacturers have had to meet new safety standards for their cars. Among these innovations, the creation of new rear lights.
The usefulness of this system comes into its own on highways. Imagine yourself driving at high speed coming out of a tunnel or after going uphill. A vehicle in front of you brakes suddenly. Thanks to these new lights, you are immediately alerted to the critical situation, allowing you to react more quickly and effectively.
Above all, thanks to these new lights, drivers can tell the difference in an instant between normal braking and emergency braking. This saving of precious time can make all the difference.
Their operation is simple but ingenious. When braking suddenly at more than 50 km/h or when the anti-lock braking system (ABS) is activated, the hazard lights (commonly called “warning”) come on automatically. This rapid and visible activation instantly alerts following drivers that emergency braking is in progress.
It is interesting to note that some car manufacturers had already integrated this functionality into their models for several years. However, it was only since last summer that this measure became mandatory for all new vehicles sold in Europe.
The objective of these new lights is clear: to significantly reduce the number of accidents on our roads, in particular chain collisions. These are unfortunately all too common and can have dramatic consequences. To put the scale of the problem into perspective, just look at the figures: in 2022, France recorded no less than 1,867 chain accidents and 7,084 rear-end collisions. These incidents represent more than 15% of the total number of collisions in the country.
It is important to emphasize that these new lights are only one element among others in the new European directives. The European Union, through its “new general vehicle safety regulation” (GSR II), has put in place a series of measures aimed at making roads safer.
In addition to the emergency lights, there is also emergency braking assistance, which can take over if the driver does not react quickly enough, obstacle detection in reverse, particularly useful during parking maneuvers, and fatigue warning, which can remind the driver to take a break during long journeys. Owners of old vehicles are not required to comply. These measures only apply to new cars.
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