GSR2 is the common name for Regulation (EU) 2019/2144, the General Safety Regulation, adopted in November 2019. It sets common safety requirements for motor vehicles and their trailers across the European Union. For fleets, this means one thing: vehicles bought today carry a set of systems that vehicles bought five years ago did not have, and some of them generate data that is useful well beyond the moment of danger itself.
When each requirement took effect
The regulation applies in two stages, which is typical of type-approval law, with a later deadline for one system:
- 6 July 2022: the requirements applied to new vehicle types, meaning models type-approved after that date.
- 7 July 2024: the requirements applied to all new vehicles registered in the EU, including those whose type had been approved earlier.
- 7 July 2026: the deadline for advanced driver distraction warning (ADDW) passed for all newly registered vehicles; for new types it had applied since July 2024.
The regulation covers newly type-approved and newly registered vehicles. Vehicles already on the road do not have to be retrofitted, although a major modification can bring some of the requirements into play.
What exactly the vehicle must have
The scope differs between cars and trucks or buses. For transport fleets (categories N2, N3, M2 and M3), the key systems are:
| System | What it does |
|---|---|
| ISA (intelligent speed assistance) | recognises the speed limit and signals to the driver when it is exceeded |
| AEBS (advanced emergency braking system) | detects the risk of a collision and starts braking if the driver does not react |
| DDAW (driver drowsiness and attention warning) | recognises falling alertness from the way the vehicle is driven |
| ADDW (advanced driver distraction warning) | recognises that the driver’s eyes are not on the road |
| EDR (event data recorder) | records vehicle parameters in the seconds around an event; applies later to trucks and buses, see below |
| Emergency stop signal | signals hard braking to vehicles behind |
| Reversing detection | a camera or sensors covering the blind zone behind the vehicle |
| Detection of vulnerable road users | warns of a pedestrian or cyclist in the blind spot and when moving off |
| TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring system) | signals a drop in pressure; more in the TPMS glossary entry |
The regulation also sets requirements for vehicle cybersecurity and for preparing the vehicle for an alcohol interlock.
The exception that is easy to miss: EDR
The dates above, July 2022 and July 2024, apply to the event data recorder only in cars and vans (categories M1 and N1). For trucks and buses (M2, M3, N2, N3), the regulation sets its own, later timetable:
- 7 January 2026: new vehicle types,
- 7 January 2029: all newly registered vehicles.
For a truck fleet, this means EDR is not yet standard in vehicles bought today. For now it only covers models type-approved from January 2026.
Why these systems
The case for the regulation rests on the share of human error in road accidents, estimated at around 90%. Each of the systems addresses a different type of error: ISA unintentional speeding, DDAW and ADDW fatigue and distraction, AEBS a reaction that comes too late, and blind-spot detection a manoeuvre made without a full picture of the surroundings.
The European Commission estimated that the full set of requirements would prevent more than 25,000 deaths and at least 140,000 serious injuries by 2038. This is part of the wider goal of halving the number of road deaths by 2030.
DMS: where GSR2 meets telematics
Drowsiness and distraction warnings belong to the family of driver monitoring systems (DMS). The DDAW and ADDW required for type approval work inside the cab, and their job ends with a signal to the driver: they send nothing and record nothing for the fleet.
Fleet DMS in on-board cameras goes a step further: it records the event and passes it to the platform. The difference is a practical one. The type-approval requirement protects the driver at the moment of the event, while fleet data lets you see that the same driver regularly nods off on the same stretch after a night shift. One is prevention within seconds, the other within weeks. The differences between advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and DMS are covered in a separate glossary entry, ADAS and DMS, and the fleet use on the fleet safety page.
GSR2 does not lift any obligation that applies to the fleet. The rules on drivers’ working time, the tachograph and transport documents stay as they are; their scope is described on the fleet compliance page.
What this changes when buying vehicles
Three things are worth checking when taking delivery of vehicles from the 2024 model year onwards:
- Whether drivers know how to switch off ISA and what that means. The speed assistant can be deactivated for the current journey, but the setting does not carry over to the next ignition cycle. A driver who does not understand the signal switches it off by reflex at every start and loses a function the fleet has paid for.
- Whether the vehicle has an EDR at all and, if so, who has access to the data. In trucks and buses the recorder is only required in types approved from January 2026, so vehicles from the 2024 model year usually do not have one. Where it is fitted, the procedure for reading it after a collision needs to be agreed in advance, not on the day it is needed.
- Whether the type-approval systems duplicate what the fleet already has. A vehicle with factory-fitted DDAW and a cab camera with DMS has two independent systems watching the same thing. That is not a problem, but it is worth knowing which of them produces the data used in reports.
Frequently asked questions
Does GSR2 apply to vehicles that are already registered?
No. Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 covers new vehicle types from July 2022 and all newly registered vehicles from July 2024. Vehicles already in service do not need to be retrofitted. A substantial modification of a vehicle can, however, bring some of the requirements into play.
Can ISA be switched off?
Yes. The driver must be able to deactivate intelligent speed assistance, but the setting is not permanent: the system is active again the next time the vehicle is started. The regulation requires the function to be switched on by default.
What is the difference between DDAW and ADDW?
DDAW recognises drowsiness from the way the vehicle is driven: steering corrections, reaction times and steering wheel patterns. ADDW recognises distraction, meaning that the driver’s eyes are not on the road, and usually needs a camera that watches the face. They are two separate requirements with different application dates.
Does GSR2 replace on-board cameras in the fleet?
No. The systems required by GSR2 work inside the cab and warn the driver at the moment of danger. They do not send footage or data to the fleet platform, so they cannot be used to analyse incidents after the fact, to defend against a claim or for training. Those uses are covered by video telematics.