GSR2 — the safety features the law now requires
The second General Safety Regulation is the European rule that made a defined set of driver assistance and safety systems mandatory on new vehicles.
The regulation applies to every new car type approved for the Union, regardless of where it was built. Its list covers intelligent speed assistance, emergency braking, lane keeping, driver drowsiness detection, a data recorder for accident investigation and a standard interface for alcohol interlocks, among others.
Why it matters when buying
The direct consequence for buyers is that the presence of these systems is not a selling point on any new car, because none may be sold without them. A brochure listing them as features is describing compliance.
The indirect consequence is more interesting. The regulation is one of the reasons Chinese models reach Europe later and differently equipped than their domestic versions: meeting the list requires hardware, calibration and validation specific to European approval. It also standardised the annoyances — the speed warning that reactivates at every start is not a manufacturer’s choice, it is the regulation, and the difference between cars is only how quickly you can silence it.
For used buyers the date matters. Cars type-approved before the regulation applied need not comply, so two apparently identical model years can differ in what they are legally required to carry.
Updated Aug 21, 2026