Safety Technology Must be Accelerated

01 April 2016 | Updated 01 January 1970

Research has supported the need for regulatory intervention to ensure that lifesaving technologies such as Automated Emergency Braking (AEB) is standard on all vehicles.

Responding to the European Transport Safety Council’s call for an overhaul of the European car safety framework, However, Thatcham Research, a specialist in the collision repair industry, believed this could be achieved voluntarily by the EU automotive industry.

“Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, along with 20 vehicle manufacturers, agreed to make AEB standard on all vehicles in the US by 2022,” said Peter Shaw, CEO,Thatcham Research. “We’ve also just seen Lexus and Toyota committing to fit AEB as standard on every trim and model level in the US by the end of 2017. These are major landmarks for vehicle safety with the US leading the way but Europe risks falling behind. Unless we have a similar agreement among European vehicle manufacturers, legislation is the only way to go.”

Research has shown that vehicles fitted with AEB are capable of reducing the likelihood of front-to-rear crashes by up to 40% and at the current fitment rate has the potential to save 1,130 lives and 126,000 casualties over the next 10 years. Analysis by Thatcham Research shows that only 2% of vehicles currently on the road in the UK have AEB as standard fit. This figure is growing but according to Thatcham, not fast enough with only 17% of new vehicles available to buy having AEB as standard fit.

A recent survey conducted by the company and Direct Line Insurance Group in the UK, also showed that 82% of drivers think car safety features like AEB should be fitted as standard and available for free and not as an ‘extra’. “We recognise that many vehicle manufacturers, like Land Rover, have really upped their game in the past few years when it comes to car safety,” admitted Snow. “They are pioneering new technologies. In 2014, the Land Rover Discovery Sport was awarded 5 stars by Euro NCAP and is only one of two vehicles in the market that has an external pedestrian airbag.”

Snow felt that if AEB as standard on all vehicles, is going to become a reality in Europe, it is going to require collaboration between regulators and everyone in the automotive industry.

Picture: Europe is dragging behind in the installation of AEB as a standard installation on modern vehicles

Article written by Robin Snow | Published 01 April 2016