Published last year, theEuropean Commission (EC) plan highlighted 19 safety technologies that it is considering making mandatory on all cars. While Britain is all set to leave the EU, the coalition believes that we must support any resulting measures produced by the EC to ensure that the UK’s safety standards continue to improve, rather than fall behind those of our European counterparts following Brexit.
Tech to the rescue?
The technology being examined by the EC covers a range of active and passive features that are currently available on some models of cars – but critically, not all. Active safety measures are seen as essential for ensuring accidents don’t happen in the first place. They include automatic emergency braking, lane keep assistance, driver drowsiness/distraction monitoring and intelligent speed adaptation. The latter is an overridable system that helps drivers keep to speed limits.
The passive safety measures being considered for introduction or enhancement include tyre pressure monitoring, crash event data recorders, emergency braking displays (think flashing brake lights), improved crash testing (plus the introduction of rear impact testing) and ‘alcohol interlock device interface standardisation’ – in other words, the compulsory fitting of breathalysers in all cars.
Pedestrian protection
To protect pedestrians and cyclists, the EC is also exploring the potential of enhanced detection systems to improve collision outcomes, with head impact protection on A-pillars and windscreens, along with pedestrian detection when reversing.
Trucks and buses are also coming under the EC’s spotlight, with the focus again on keeping pedestrians and cyclists safe. Proposed measures include the introduction or improvement of rear underpin protection, side guards, improved front end designs and better direct vision for lorry drivers, so they can see more from their windows.
Pan-European vehicle standards were last upgraded in 2009. Now, the coalition insists that the UK must keep pace, raising the bar and implementing “further cost effective life-saving safety measures as standard.” With over 1,700 people killed in road collisions in 2015, the coalition believes it is “crucial to ensure the effective delivery of the ‘safe system’ approach adopted by Britain, driving towards the ultimate target of zero road deaths and serious injuries.”
Are you the weakest link?
While improved safety features are seen as vital, there are concerns about the impact they have on drivers. The fear is that motorists are becoming over-reliant on technology to do the driving for them. For instance, Canadian police have speculated that systems like lane departure warnings are leading to some motorists believing that they don’t need to check over their shoulders anymore.
Then there’s the other end of the spectrum: some motorists are simply too confused by the new technology to engage with it. Instead, they are turning off safety features wherever possible. The National Safety Council in the US believes that “if people don’t understand how that works or what the car is doing, it may startle them or make them uncomfortable.”
Ultimately, any safety technology can only be good news when it comes to reducing road collisions. However, perhaps the real takeaway here is that all the tech in the world can’t change the fact that a vehicle’s weakest link is the driver. Well, that is until autonomous cars take over…
Are advances in car safety technology the answer to reducing road accident rates? Or are we becoming too reliant on our cars taking care of us? Let us know your thoughts below.
People still break laws. No matter how much you legislate you can’t legislate away stupidity and ignorance. Nor can you account for human error. The more tech there is, the more drivers rely on it and lose focus. You need to learn to drive not just pass the test and leave the arrogance at home
You got everything completely right Karen I agree entirely People are not taught how to pass the test first time but taught how to drive at all Driving instructors want to claim 99% first time passes just to get more pupils I will wait for driving instructor response
Keeping UK-produced cars in line with EU safety legislation is a no-brainer. Car makers would rather have all their models saleable in the whole of Europe than have to produce specials for the UK – basic economies of scale. They also have to take US and other standards into account in their designs, in order to export elsewhere, so every car has to meet a multiplicity of criteria unless it is produced for a single regional market. “Freeing British industry from restrictive EU standards” is simply not an option for exporters.
They already produce specials for the UK. We get European spec cars, while no other RHD country does. 🙂 Not to mention that it doesn’t change anything to have things that are option somewhere else in the world, be option in the UK too.
I can understand why they want to make cars safer but first they need to make the technology work, my car has collision protection which I have had to turn off, the simple reason is, it is a flawed system, whilst driving past a line of cars i moved slightly left to allow more space for a car coming from the opposite direction the car though I was going to collide with a parked car and applied the brake, this in itself almost caused a collision.
I remember when seat belts came out before you had to wear them the most dangerous drivers always wore them and seamed to think they could not be killed because I have my seat belt on Car safety is important but only if the driver is not thinking what ever I do i’m safe .
All very well, but can’t detract from the fact that a lot of pedestrians behave in an unsafe way, particularly on supermarket car parks. It amazes me that more aren’t injured.
No amount of safety features on cars can stop idiots from running out into the road straight into the path of an oncoming car & it’s always the driver who gets the blame.
I opted out of all this safety garbage and ride a 56 year old motorcycle and a 17 year old car. I really don’t want a vehicle that wipes my backside for me and sacrifices my driving experience on the altar of health and safety. If people can’t learn how to use the road properly, then don’t use the road!
Will this technology apply to motorcycles and bicycles as well – in fact, will pedestrians have to carry a backpack with all this technology in as well. It is always the ‘wicked motorist’s fault’.
I agree with 2 things in the report, the breathalyser and the tyre pressure detection but all the other stuff that effectively drives for you is taking away the whole skill of learning to drive.
Imagine the increased road rage when people are in a rush and their car automatically slows them down. I can see images of Basil Fawlty whacking his car with a branch.
People still break laws. No matter how much you legislate you can’t legislate away stupidity and ignorance. Nor can you account for human error. The more tech there is, the more drivers rely on it and lose focus. You need to learn to drive not just pass the test and leave the arrogance at home
You got everything completely right Karen I agree entirely People are not taught how to pass the test first time but taught how to drive at all Driving instructors want to claim 99% first time passes just to get more pupils I will wait for driving instructor response
Keeping UK-produced cars in line with EU safety legislation is a no-brainer. Car makers would rather have all their models saleable in the whole of Europe than have to produce specials for the UK – basic economies of scale. They also have to take US and other standards into account in their designs, in order to export elsewhere, so every car has to meet a multiplicity of criteria unless it is produced for a single regional market. “Freeing British industry from restrictive EU standards” is simply not an option for exporters.
They already produce specials for the UK. We get European spec cars, while no other RHD country does. 🙂 Not to mention that it doesn’t change anything to have things that are option somewhere else in the world, be option in the UK too.
I can understand why they want to make cars safer but first they need to make the technology work, my car has collision protection which I have had to turn off, the simple reason is, it is a flawed system, whilst driving past a line of cars i moved slightly left to allow more space for a car coming from the opposite direction the car though I was going to collide with a parked car and applied the brake, this in itself almost caused a collision.
I remember when seat belts came out before you had to wear them the most dangerous drivers always wore them and seamed to think they could not be killed because I have my seat belt on Car safety is important but only if the driver is not thinking what ever I do i’m safe .
All very well, but can’t detract from the fact that a lot of pedestrians behave in an unsafe way, particularly on supermarket car parks. It amazes me that more aren’t injured.
No amount of safety features on cars can stop idiots from running out into the road straight into the path of an oncoming car & it’s always the driver who gets the blame.
I opted out of all this safety garbage and ride a 56 year old motorcycle and a 17 year old car. I really don’t want a vehicle that wipes my backside for me and sacrifices my driving experience on the altar of health and safety. If people can’t learn how to use the road properly, then don’t use the road!
Will this technology apply to motorcycles and bicycles as well – in fact, will pedestrians have to carry a backpack with all this technology in as well. It is always the ‘wicked motorist’s fault’.
I agree with 2 things in the report, the breathalyser and the tyre pressure detection but all the other stuff that effectively drives for you is taking away the whole skill of learning to drive.
Imagine the increased road rage when people are in a rush and their car automatically slows them down. I can see images of Basil Fawlty whacking his car with a branch.