VDL Bus & Coach bv’s Post

The evolution and current state of road safety The evolution of road safety has been a dynamic journey marked by significant advancements in technology, legislation, and public awareness. Road safety legislation was minimal in the early 20th century, and vehicles were designed with limited safety features. However, as populations grew, especially in urban areas motor vehicle use surged leading to higher incidences of accidents, prompting the need for improved safety measures. The introduction of seat belts in the 1950s and their mandatory use laws in the late 20th century significantly reduced fatalities. So did airbags and anti-lock braking systems. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belts reduce the risk of death for front-seat passengers by 45% and cut the risk of serious injury by 50%. These factors led to the advent of crash testing and new car assessment protocols that rate the safety of vehicles. The rise of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in the 21st century, marked a new era in road safety. Features such as ACC, LKA, AEB, and BSD have now almost become the standard in modern vehicles leading to a 20% reduction in accident rates, according to the European Commission. Despite these advancements, road safety remains a global challenge. According to a report released in 2018 by The World Health Organization (WHO) approximately 1.35 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes. Current trends in road safety focus on integrating smart technologies, improving infrastructure, and enhancing driver education. Advanced driver assistance technologies represent the next frontier, with the potential to drastically reduce human error, which is a factor in approximately 94% of crashes according to the NHTSA. In summary, road safety has evolved from basic protective measures to sophisticated technologies aimed at preventing accidents before they occur. While significant progress has been made, ongoing innovation and global cooperation are essential to achieving safer roads for everyone. Access our latest whitepaper and podcast to learn how LeddarTech is enabling a safer future by enabling ADAS with AI-based low-level sensor fusion and perception software White paper “AI-based Low-level sensor fusion and perception for NCAP”: https://hubs.li/Q02Cd8cq0 Podcast “Discussing Active Road Safety, ADAS and Perception Systems”: https://hubs.li/Q02Cd8Xl0 WHO Report: https://hubs.li/Q02Cd3Hb0. NHTSA Report: https://hubs.li/Q02Cd6K80

The ‘New Vehicle General Safety Regulation’, also known as GSR2 or Regulation (EU) 2019/2144, came into effect on Sunday 7 July 2024, mandating a range of technical safety features be fitted to new cars as standard within the EU and Northern Ireland. These include intelligent speed assistance but also other advanced driver assistance systems such as autonomous emergency braking, driver drowsiness and attention warning and emergency lane keeping systems.#seeingmachines Such equipment, while likely to be included on many new cars in Britain, has not actually been mandated. The Department for Transport under the new government has confirmed that the Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) laws that came into effect on 6 July 2024 “apply to the EU and Northern Ireland only, not Great Britain”. There are growing calls for Britain to officially adopt the rules though, due to the road safety benefits. Earlier this year, the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) called for immediate implementation of the vehicle safety standards, which it said were world-leading. The organisation, which has over 40 years’ experience advising both Houses of Parliament on transport safety, has said the standards, along with other measures such as a national road safety strategy and graduated driver licensing, would help save thousands of lives. https://lnkd.in/e-gEQA4M

Vehicle steering assist technologies are critical components of ADAS equipped vehicles. It is critical to properly check this and other vehicle electronics, ensuring that parts are functioning correctly, and even inspecting the mechanical aspects. Remember, haste can sometimes lead to overlooking a simple solution that could be more cost-effective than replacing the entire gear. #ADAS #VehicleSafety  

The looming danger in high-tech car safety systems https://buff.ly/3ArByNn #technology #autonomousvehicles #selfdriving #engineering #vehicle

With more focus on car safety, Indian car buyers have now become more conscious of the safety equipment. The Indian Government too has been stressing on enhanced car safety for some years now. Not only passive safety features, the automotive industry has made remarkable strides in active safety features in the form of Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). After the mandatory six airbags rule, which is slated to be implemented from October 2024, the government is contemplating on making certain ADAS features mandatory on Indian cars. As per a recent report published in PTI, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has drafted a new proposal to bring down road accidents in India. ADAS to become mandatory? MoRTH, headed by Union Minister, Nitin Gadkari, has set a target to reduce the number of accidents in the country and the resulting deaths by half by 2024. Hit from Back’ accounted for the largest share in total accidents deaths (19.5%) in 2022, followed by ‘Hit and Run’ and ‘Head on Collision’ which accounted for 18.1% and 15.7%, respectively. In regard to the same, MoRTH has proposed the installation of ‘Moving Off Information System’ (MOIS) in a specific category of four-wheelers, including both passenger and commercial vehicles. Soon certain four-wheelers will have inbuilt collision warning signals in order to reduce the possibility of collision with pedestrians and cyclists in close proximity. In a draft proposal titled ‘Approval of motor vehicles with regard to the Moving Off Information System for the Detection of Pedestrians and Cyclists’, the MoRTH specified the automotive industry standard for MOIS and will be notified after public consultation. The draft added “low-speed moving off from rest manoeuvres that involve collisions between M2, M3, N2 and N3 vehicle category vehicles (subject vehicles) and pedestrians and cyclists have serious consequences for these vulnerable road users (VRUs)”.

Exciting insights on the evolution of vehicle safety tech! From passive systems like airbags to active #ADAS features, the focus is shifting towards preventing accidents. However, ensuring driver acceptance remains a challenge. Crucial move by the #EU mandating safety features. Let's advocate for similar initiatives globally! Click to read the full article: https://lnkd.in/ePeJJm3c #VehicleSafety #ADAS #RoadSafety #EURegulation #SafetyFirst

The Direct Vision Standard (DVS) is set to undergo significant changes in October 2024 as part of Transport for London's (TFL) Vision Zero plan. These updates aim to enhance road safety and reduce accidents involving larger vehicles, particularly Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs). Here is a comprehensive guide to help fleet managers navigate the upcoming changes and ensure compliance. Understanding DVS The DVS legislation, launched in 2019 and enforced in March 2021, mandates that all vehicles over 12 tonnes must obtain a safety permit to operate in, travel through, or enter Greater London. TFL's Vision Zero initiative seeks to eliminate fatalities and serious road injuries in London by 2041. Since its inception, over 200,000 HGVs have been granted permits. The primary goal of DVS is to standardize safety equipment on vehicles and address the issue of blind spots, a significant contributor to accidents involving vulnerable road users (VRUs), often with fatal outcomes. Vision Rating Changes The star rating system, assessing the vision quality of HGVs, determines their eligibility for permits. The higher the star rating, the better the visibility from the cab windows. Here's how the star rating requirements have changed from 2020 to October 2024 and beyond: 2020 - Oct 2024: - The star rating ranges from 1 star (lowest) to 5 stars (highest). - Vehicles need a minimum of a 1-star rating to obtain a permit. October 2024 Onwards: - HGVs will now require a minimum three-star rating to obtain the permit allowing them to operate within Greater London. This adjustment aims to raise safety standards for large vehicles, intending to decrease road accident rates. Fleet managers must ensure their HGVs meet the new minimum rating to continue operating within and around Greater London. Navigating the Changes Fleet managers should take proactive steps to ensure compliance with the updated DVS: 1) Review Vehicle Ratings: Assess the current star ratings of your HGVs and identify those that fall below the new minimum requirement. 2) Upgrade Safety Features: Consider investing in safety features and technologies that enhance the vision quality of HGVs, addressing blind spots and improving overall safety. 3) Driver Training: Provide additional training for drivers to familiarize them with the updated DVS requirements and emphasize the importance of maintaining a high star rating. 4) Permit Renewal Planning: Plan for permit renewals well in advance of the October 2024 deadline to avoid disruptions in operations. By proactively addressing these changes, fleet managers can ensure a smooth transition to the updated DVS and contribute to the broader goal of making London's roads safer for all road users. If you'd like to know more, or want to see how Renault Truck Commercials can help you on your journey to safer roads - get in touch today: [email protected] 07548972146 #dvs #progressivesafesystem #hgv

Driver Assist Tech Could Prevent 27 Million Crashes By 2050: Like it or not, driver assistance tech like collision avoidance measures, lane-keeping systems and parking assist are all here to stay. But have you ever considered what the impact of this tech could be as it becomes more advanced and gets adopted by more and more automakers? Well, AAA wondered just that and… Read more... #car #cars #awesome

AV topics in play this week (NHTSA, Congress, California): - NHTSA's approval of no-steering-wheel vehicles. Tons of safety accessibility theater on this front. I'll bet they get it, and we'll see even more issues with stuck vehicles that don't have steering wheels like what happened in Texas recently. (Note that NHTSA "approval" does not imply endorsement for self-driving safety, even though I expect companies will try to claim it does. It is FMVSS exemptions for stuff like dashboard indicators and tire pressure monitoring. Software safety does not enter into FMVSS.) - Congressional action on a federal autonomous vehicle bill. Industry is pulling out the stops with opinion pieces and the usual talking points. (Jobs; OMG China!; and of course WE'RE SAVING LIVES!!!) I'd be surprised if anything gets past the US Senate, but we'll see. - The battle in California over whether heavy trucks need a driver. We're finally seeing the Unions take a stand, and the governor needs to decide whether to sign a bill requiring human drivers that has already passed the state legislature. The unions have a lot of power here that many have not taken seriously enough in analyzing the AV trucking industry outlook. The linked piece is representative of the flurry of placed stories we're seeing, and one of the more balanced of the lot, which is not to say it is that balanced. Contrary to the title, I think it is the self-driving car industry that is in a panic -- now that more folks are seeing through their long-running propaganda campaign. The article gets safety somewhat wrong (comparing absolute numbers without normalizing by miles travelled between robotaxis and human drivers, and parroting the ridiculous Cruise safety bar chart). But does point out we need smarter regulations and policy. IMHO the One Big Thing we need is a direct accountability mechanism for harm done by an automated vehicle: the computer driver should have the same duty of care to other road users as a human driver would have, and the manufacturer as the responsible party should be held accountable under tort law (not just product liability). That would put on significant safety pressure while the rest of safety regulation gets sorted out in the coming years. Fewer posts this week. I'm at Safecomp this week (https://lnkd.in/gaAHsyZs) and have less time to comment even though there is a flurry of self-driving car stuff going on. https://lnkd.in/gx7jFWX9