Cars to get anti-tailgate tech from next month

From July 2022 (ie. next month) anti-tailgating technology will be installed in most new cars, after a fresh EU ruling.

The AA has announced the EU’s changes, which is a huge breakthrough for ‘Dev’s Law’ campaigners.  Dev’s Law is a harrowing example of how dangerous driving can cause devastation. On the 31st of May 2018, 8-year-old Dev Naran died when a lorry rear-ended the stationary car he was in, on a hard shoulder of the M6. Since that day, his parents have campaigned tirelessly to get the EU and UK to adopt AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) technology in all new cars. AEB is an in-vehicle anti-tailgating safety technology that uses radars and cameras to scan the road ahead for potential hazards and automatically slows the car down if the driver doesn’t brake before a potential collision. 

The AA has also been pressing for this technology to be adopted for over a decade. Making AEB compulsory on all new vehicles (including vans) would be a big step forwards for road safety, according to the AA. The organisation's president, Edmund King, said: "The adoption of Dev’s Law […] would be a massive milestone in road safety akin to [...the introduction of] seat belts, breathalysers or air bags".

While the EU's introduction of the law from July is considered by most to be a positive move, the UK is yet to action the same. But since it will become compulsory for all new cars across mainland Europe to feature the tech, it seems highly likely UK-spec cars will gain the same feature. Currently, 12-15% of cars are already fitted with this tech.

The AA is confident that the UK will impose the same law soon. As Mr Kings says, the "UK market is so close to the European market my understanding is that the vast majority of new model cars will have it".

If you want to make sure your next car has AEB, then have a look at our online showroom for cars that already have this all-important safety feature listed in their technical specifications.

By Freda Lewis-Stempel