Brake Assist Systems Have Become Mandatory for All Newly Launched Car and Light Commercial Vehicles in Europe
All new vehicles in the European Union are required to have brake assist systems from February 24, 2011 as part of a new EU regulation that aims to improve pedestrian safety. According to studies published in the EU, up to 1100 fatal accidents involving pedestrians could be prevented in Europe each year if all cars were equipped with equipment braking assistance systems. The industry is already working to develop predictive systems that will be able to detect traffic ahead of a vehicle via additional radar sensors, and in some cases, video sensors.
In the future, emergency braking systems will be able to interpret a traffic situation and offer drivers an intelligent braking support according to Dr. Werner Struth, President of the Bosch Chassis Systems Control Division. In the year 2010, the Bosch system is set to go into serious production for the first time at Audi. Braking assistant systems not only reduce the risk of injury to pedestrians, they will also prevent rear end collisions. Research has shown that in Germany for rear end collisions resulting in injury, a third of the drivers did not hit the brakes at all before the collision and half of them did not use the car’s full braking capacity.
The EU directive seeks to improve protection of pedestrians and other vulnerable road users. The aim is to reduce injury from accidents to pedestrians and cyclists, as well as to other motorists, and improving traffic safety is also the aim of another directive which has been in effect in EU since August 2009. Step by step, the EU will make anti-skid ESP systems for braking mandatory for all vehicles by November 2014 and moreover, from November 2015 all commercial vehicles must be equipped with advanced emergency braking systems, as well as lane departure systems.
The Philadelphia car accident and defective product lawyers at Reiff & Bily think that the EU has taken many steps in the right direction with regard to promoting automotive safety. We believe that all U.S. automobile manufacturers should follow suit and hopefully look forward to similar legislation in the U.S. where auto manufacturers still continue to place profitability about the safety of consumers.
