Legal amendment for electric parking brakes

The UN Economic Commission (UN/ECE) paves the way for the amendment of the UN/ECE R 13 regulation (Uniform provisions concerning the approval of vehicles of categories M, N and O with regard to braking) by taking up Germany’s initiative. The parking braking system shall enable the vehicle to be held stationary on an uphill or downhill gradient, even in the absence of the driver.

The amendment aims to prevent serious road accidents, which occurred at least 65 times between 2011 and 2018. 25 people were even killed in these accidents. The goal is to get closer to Vision Zero, the ideal of a world without occupational accidents.

The amendment of the ECE R 13 regulation aims to create more safety in the operation of commercial vehicles. On 21 September 2021, the UN/ECE adopted Germany’s proposal to adapt the European registration regulations and gradually introduce the automatically activated parking brake from 2024.

The new regulation applies to vehicles with electric parking brake systems. In future, it is to be activated automatically when the vehicle is not in use and the ignition is switched off or the driver leaves the truck. The vehicle electronics can detect the driver leaving the driver’s seat, for example, by opening the driver’s door or the seat belt. The hope is that this change will completely prevent serious and fatal accidents caused by commercial vehicles rolling away.