Safety

Advances in passive safety systems - including features such as protective structures, airbags and sophisticated seatbelt systems - have made cars considerably safer over the last decade. Subsequently, European road fatalities have decreased by 50% over the last 15 years.¹

However, despite such improvements, more than 40,000 people die and 1.7 million are injured annually on Europe’s roads.² Further progress in reducing these numbers cannot be achieved by merely ensuring the best possible protection when an accident occurs. Greater attention must be devoted to developing and deploying systems that intervene before the accident happens. By decreasing the driver’s workload, detecting dangers and providing the necessary support in hazardous situations, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) could save a considerable number of lives every year.

The annual cost of accidents is approximately €200 billion, representing 2% of EU GDP.² The number of road fatalities and the associated costs are unacceptably high. Thus, in 2001 the European Commission set the target of halving the number of road victims by 2010. It highlighted that the achievement of this ambitious goal will require the deployment of active and preventive safety systems.

With at least 93% of accidents caused by human error², the case for increased driver assistance is clear. Whether due to poor perception of danger or mistaken interpretations of driving conditions, ill-advised decision making causes the majority of accident-producing situations. Several systems can address this problem, such as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) that prevents rear-end collision. These systems hold great potential, with estimates showing that as many as 4,000 accidents could be avoided if as few as 3% of European cars were fitted with ACC.²

The potential is enormous. To accelerate the development and deployment of these life-saving technologies, ERTICO, the European Commission and the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) – launched the eSafety initiative in 2002. It is creating the necessary partnerships and leadership, both at the business and policy levels, around one safety vision and an integrated overall programme of action supported by all players.

¹ European CARE Database
² Communication from the Commission on the Intelligent Car Initiative - “Raising Awareness of ICT for Smarter, Safer and Cleaner Vehicles”,  15 February 2006

Safety-related initiatives involving ERTICO:

ADASIS Forum — advancing map-enhanced driver assistance systems

AIDE — enhancing safety with adaptive driver assistance systems

ERTRAC — contributing to European road transport research priorities

eSafety Forum — making Europe's roads safer for everyone

FeedMAP — enabling quick and inexpensive map updates

FESTA — creating a methodology for field operational tests

FOT-Net - The platform for exchange on field operational tests

euroF.O.T- European large-scale Field Operational Tests on In-Vehicle Systems

HeavyRoute — supporting quicker and safer freight transport

IP PReVENT— supporting the driver, preventing accidents
 • MAPS&ADAS — using digital maps to improve road safety

ROSATTE — road safety attributes exchange infrastructure in Europe

SAFESPOT — supporting smart vehicles on safe roads

SpeedAlert Forum — keeping drivers informed of speed limits at all times