Cars and safety 2008 pot

Cars and safety September 2008 1 Cars and safety 1. THE CURRENT SITUATION 2 1.1. A WORLDWIDE PROBLEM 2 1.2. INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES 5 1.3. EMERGING COUNTRIES 7 2. DEVELOPMENTS IN VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEMS 8 2.1. THE PREMISES OF AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY 8 2.2. THE DEVELOPMENT OF PASSIVE SAFETY 8 2.3. THE AGE OF ACTIVE SAFETY 9 2.4. POST-COLLISION ASSISTANCE 10 3. CHALLENGES TO OVERCOME 11 3.1. DEVELOPMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE 11 3.2. INFORMATION AND LEGISLATION 12 3.3. RISK BY AGE GROUP 13 3.4. BALANCING SAFETY AGAINST THE ENVIRONMENT 14 3.5. ACCEPTANCE OF DRIVING ASSISTANCE AND SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES 15 4. REGULATIONS TO COME 16 4.1. ABS AND ESP 16 4.2. PEDESTRIAN IMPACT 16 4.3. BRAKING ASSISTANCE SYSTEM 16 4.4. AUTOMATIC BRAKING 16 4.5. DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT 17 4.6. EMERGENCY CALLS 17 4.7. TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING 17 4.8. ON-BOARD BREATHALYZER 18 5. KEY EMERGING TRENDS 19 5.1. ACTIVE SAFETY 19 5.2. PASSIVE SAFETY 22 6. VALEO SOLUTIONS 25 6.1. DRIVING ASSISTANCE FOR LOW SPEEDS 25 6.2. DRIVING ASSISTANCE FOR MEDIUM AND HIGH SPEEDS 25 6.3. IMPROVING VISIBILITY 26 6.4. GREATER PEDESTRIAN PROTECTION 27 7. CONCLUSION 29 2 1. The current situation The dictionary describes an accident as “an unexpected and undesirable event”. Accidents are not unavoidable, however, and this applies to traffic accidents too. There are many ways to reduce accidents: regulations, road infrastructure, human behavior and, of course, vehicle design. 1.1. A worldwide problem According to the World Health Organization (WHO), road accidents kill more than 1.2 million people every year, representing 2.1% of all deaths, and cause 50 million injuries. The WHO expects these figures to rise by around 65% over the next 20 years unless further preventative action is taken. Between 1990 and 2020, road accidents are predicted to rise from ninth to third place among the principal causes of death and ill health. DALY* ranking of the 10 principal causes of the global burden of disease Posit ion 1990 Disease or injury Posit ion 2020 Disease or injury 1 Lower respiratory tract infections 1 Ischemic cardiopathy 2 Diarrhea-related illnesses 2 Major unipolar depression 3 Perinatal conditions 3 Traffic accidents 4 Major unipolar depression 4 Cerebrovascular diseases 5 Ischemic cardiopathy 5 Chronic obstructive bronchopneumopathy 6 Cerebrovascular diseases 6 Lower respiratory tract infections 7 Tuberculosis 7 Tuberculosis 8 Measles 8 War 9 Traffic accidents 9 Diarrhea-related illnesses 10 Congenital disorders 10 HIV *DALY: Disability Adjusted Life Years. An assessment of ill health that takes into account the number of years lost due to premature death and the loss of health resulting from a disability. 90% of fatal deaths on the road take place in developing countries. This is particularly worrying as, unlike in rich countries, the level is constantly rising. A study carried out by the World Bank in 2003 predicted a fall of 27% in traffic fatalities in high-income countries, and an increase of 83% in low- or medium-income countries. Predicted traffic fatalities by region (1) Deaths (in thousands) Deaths per million inhabitants Region Number of countries 2000 2020 Change (%) 2000–2020 2000 2020 Sub-Saharan Africa 46 80 144 80% 123 149 South America & Caribbean 31 122 380 48% 261 310 East Asia & Pacific 15 188 337 79% 109 168 South Asia 7 135 330 144% 102 189 Eastern Europe & Central Asia 9 32 38 19% 190 212 Middle East & North Africa 13 56 94 68% 192 223 Sub-total 121 613 1124 83% 133 190 High-income countries 35 110 80 -27% 118 78 TOTAL 156 723 1204 67% 130 174 (1) Results are stated according to regions defined by the World Bank. We should note that statistics on accidents are sometimes empirical or erratically recorded. For example, Brazil only takes into account accidents in major cities, while Mexico records only those occurring on main roads. In fact, just 75 countries publish annual data on road accidents. The economic cost of road accidents and resulting injuries is estimated at $518 billion. 3 The World Bank’s 2005 World Development Indicators, below, provide a visual summary. By distorting the countries, these maps clearly show the contradiction between the number of accidents and the number of cars per inhabitant. The number of road deaths also varies for different age groups: among men, most deaths occur among 15-29 year olds in high- income countries (28.8% of deaths in this age group) and among the over-60s in other countries (53.3%). South America and the Middle East have some of the highest rates of road deaths per million inhabitants. Among the countries covered by the study, the Dominican Republic was at the top of the table (411), followed by Uruguay (349), Malaysia (307), Thailand (280), South Africa (265), Brazil (256), Colombia (242), Kuwait (237) and Venezuela (231). 4 Number of traffic fatalities per million inhabitants and per million vehicles (2006 data or the latest available) The population's motorization rate also reveals wide discrepancies between developing countries. Per million vehicles, Russia is the clear leader among the countries analyzed above by the OECD, followed by Turkey, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland and Greece. For the most part, the mortality rate is the highest for occupants of cars, motorcycles and mopeds. In some countries with very dense populations pedestrians account for the greatest number of deaths, however. Hong Kong, Korea and Sri Lanka, for example, have 67%, 48% and 45% of the total. Some cities also have high death rates among pedestrians, for example Delhi (India) and Colombo (Sri Lanka). According to a survey commissioned by the G8, it is estimated that road accidents in low- and medium-income countries represent a cost of $64.5 billion. The survey also found that deaths were mainly among men, and this has an immediate effect on the standard of living of their families. Sources: • Global report on the prevention of injuries caused by road accidents • Commission for Global Road Safety: Make Roads Safe • World Report on road traffic injury prevention, 2004 • World Health Organization (WHO) • World Bank report on fatal road accidents and economic growth • World Health Organization (WHO) • Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) • Murray CJL, Lopez AD, eds. The global burden of disease: a comprehensive assessment of mortality and disability from diseases, injuries, and risk factors in 1990 and projected to 2020. Boston, MA, Harvard School of Public Health, 1996. • Kopits E, Cropper M. Traffic fatalities and economic growth. Washington, DC, The World Bank, 2003 (Policy Research Working Paper No. 3035) 5 1.2. Industrialized countries Of all industrialized countries, the United States stands out for having the highest rate of traffic fatalities, despite very strict speed limits: nearly 150 per million inhabitants, compared to less than 100 elsewhere. It should also be noted that, unlike the other countries mentioned, its level of fatalities is barely falling at all. The main finding was the high accident rate in rural areas, where 57% of accidents occur, despite these areas accounting for just 21% of the total population. Because of the great distances between cities, Americans take long journeys, traveling on average more than 22,000km every year, which also leads to higher speeds than on local drives. Rural accidents therefore tend to be more serious: 80% of vehicles involved in an accident in rural areas are written off, compared to 67% in urban areas. The main causes of traffic fatalities are loss of control of the vehicle, and alcohol consumption. These are compounded by a phenomenon specific to the US: just 84% of occupants wear seatbelts in urban areas and 78% in rural areas. 51% of people killed in 2006 were not wearing a seatbelt. The US is also unlike other countries in that when small cars (e.g. private cars) and heavy vehicles (SUVs, pick-ups) are involved in the same accident, the passengers of the small cars account for 80% of deaths. Europe, Canada and Australia have achieved the greatest progress in terms of road safety. The first 15 member states of the European Union cut their rate by 44% from 153 fatal accidents per million inhabitants in 1991 to 86 in 2006. The figure is 48% for the 27 current member states. At 61%, the most dramatic progress was achieved by Portugal. This success is due to a plan launched in March 2003, which involved building more than 1,100 km of highways, decreasing the average speed in rural and urban areas by 10% and 6%, The wearing of seatbelts in traffic fatalities in the US in 2006 (%) With seatbelt Without seatbelt Not known Total Not ejected 55 38 7 100 Ejected 9 87 5 100 Not known 9 33 58 100 Rural areas Total 41 53 6 100 Not ejected 53 37 10 100 Ejected 8 83 8 100 Not known 15 28 57 100 Urban areas Total 43 47 10 100 Grand total 41 51 8 100 6 respectively, combating alcoholism and providing better protection for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. The European statistics are marred by poor results in some countries, especially in Eastern Europe, and by the figures for the 18-25 age group, with the highest— and rising—mortality rate. The European Union has set itself the target of cutting the number of road deaths by 50% between 2001 and 2010. At the end of 2006, half the EU countries were on the right track, led by France (down 41%), followed by Luxembourg, Portugal and Belgium, as well as two countries that were already doing well: the Netherlands and Sweden. The latter is in fact leading the way in these efforts. In 1997, its government launched the Vision Zero program, a long-term strategy aimed at gradually improving road safety until it achieves driving practices which kill no-one and injure no-one. The Netherlands has also introduced a program, Sustainable Safety, which is based on principles similar to those of Vision Zero. Japan has the lowest rate of road fatalities per head, largely because of its high urban population: 79%. Old people are the most affected by road accidents; in 2007, over-65s were involved in 47.5% of accidents, although they represent just 20% of the population. Further analysis, however, reveals that these people are mainly involved as pedestrians (49.3%), with just 22.4% in a car, 18.2% on a bicycle and 7.8% on a motorcycle. The study found that 81.3% of cyclists involved in an accident had not adhered to the highway code. Japan has launched a strategy to reduce the number of road deaths by 50% by 2013. Sources: • NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis • US Department of Transport • Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) • Insurance Institute for Highway Safety • Japan National Police Agency (NPA) • International Automobile Federation (FIA) • Eurostat • International Road Traffic and Accident Database (IRTAD) • CARE (EU road accidents database) 7 1.3. Emerging countries Leaving the US aside, with 43,000 traffic fatalities in 2006, China, India, Brazil and Russia were the top four countries in terms of road deaths, largely because of their large populations. Road deaths outside high-income countries Country Year Number of traffic fatalities Number of deaths per million inhabitants China 2002 250 007 190 India 2002 85 000 81 Brazil 1995 38 051 256 Russia 2006 32 000 230 Thailand 1994 12 411 210 Mexico 2000 10 525 118 South Korea 2001 10 496 219 Colombia 1998 8 917 242 Venezuela 2000 5 198 231 Egypt 2000 4 717 75 Argentina 1997 3 468 99 1.3.1. China China has by far the largest number of road deaths, accounting for 2.6% of vehicles worldwide, and 21% of traffic fatalities in 2002. This figure is rising, owing to a general lack of interest in safety and to the fact that vehicle numbers are increasing faster than the road network is expanding. Car ownership in China is booming, particularly among the middle classes. The number of cars rose from 6 million in 2000 to 20 million in 2006. In addition, there are 30 million other vehicles, such as mopeds and buses. The country may become the biggest automotive market by 2020. 1.3.2. India Road traffic in India is characterized by a high proportion of motorcycles and mopeds, the overloading of vehicles, such as several people riding on one moped, and a low proportion of people wearing helmets. The roads are in a poor state of repair, and as in other countries, the mortality statistics declared by the police are probably lower than the actual levels. A survey found 85 injured for each road death, whereas the police reported just ten. 1.3.3. Brazil The Brazilian road network is in a very poor state of repair, especially in the north of the country. Risk is aggravated by the high number of heavy vehicles on the roads, and the reckless behavior of drivers. The rate of fatalities per capita has fallen, however. 1.3.4. Russia Russia has high fatality rates per capita, especially in relation to the low number of vehicles (1,172 deaths per million cars compared to less than 150 in most European countries). The principal causes are highway code violations and the disastrous state of the road network. In November 2005, President Vladimir Putin announced the modernization of the highways as a priority. Traffic is expected to increase tenfold by 2020. Mr Putin also demanded that action be taken to protect pedestrians. Sources: • World Bank report on fatal road accidents and economic growth • World Health Organization (WHO) • (OECD) • Asian Highway database 8 2. Developments in vehicle safety systems 2.1. The premises of automotive safety The car had barely been invented before it became obvious that it needed safety systems. The first were based on common sense: cars were fitted with the same acetylene lighting as carriages, as well as the rudimentary brake block system, but because this system was incompatible with rubber tires, band brakes soon replaced brake blocks, followed by drum brakes; these operated only on the rear wheels. Four-wheel braking was not adopted until around 1910, after an initial attempt to create disc brakes in 1902 for a Lancaster Lanchester 18 hp. With increasing speeds and traffic came new features, which until the Fifties were mainly designed to improve vision: rearview mirror, windshield wipers, dipped headlamps and fog lights (Cadillac, 1938), then indicators (Buick, 1939). In 1944, Volvo launched the first windshield made from laminated glass, to prevent it splintering on impact. The introduction of technologies such as electricity and hydraulics helped improve safety features, such as hydraulic brake control (1921), brake assistance (Renault’s servo brake unit in 1923), dual- circuit diagonal braking (Volvo, 1966), windshield wipers with electric motor in 1926, windshield de-icing (Volvo, 1951) and headlamp wiper blades (Saab, 1970). Thanks to John Boyd Dunlop, the wheel was wrapped in a product that is central to comfort and roadworthiness, the pneumatic tire, which was then further developed to improve its grip. Continental contributed the tire tread (1904), Goodyear the run-flat tire with inner chamber (Lifeguard, 1934) and, in 1946, Michelin introduced the radial tire unanimously adopted by the market. 2.2. The development of passive safety In terms of safety, developments then turned to the protection of vehicle occupants in the case of an accident, commonly known as “passive safety”. At the beginning of the Fifties, automakers began to carry out frontal crash tests, then vehicle rolling tests. The two-point seatbelt appeared in that decade, followed by a three-point version designed to restrain the chest as well (Volvo, 1956), although several systems had been tried previously, such as the protective straps designed by Gustave-Désiré Lebeau in 1903. The inertia reel was then added to allow passengers greater movement, but also to ensure sufficient restraint in all situations. The system was improved again in 1984 with the pyrotechnic tension system, which reduces slackening of the seatbelt in a collision, then with the gradual restraint system that limits pressure on the collarbone (Renault Megane, 1995). Some high-end models are now fitted with a repetitive seatbelt pre-tensioner, instead of the pyrotechnic system, which tightens the belt when the risk of collision is high and releases it once the risk of collision has passed. The vehicle cabin has been considerably reinforced: the elasticity of the steel originally used barely rose to more than 200 megapascals, whereas today values of 1,000 MPa are common, and the steel used for some central pillars can even reach 1,650 Mpa. The crumple zone that absorbs energy in the case of frontal impact has been developed in order to spread the impact over time and avoid extreme deceleration that the human body cannot withstand. Several other features were introduced to improve passenger protection: the built-in steering column that prevents injury to the driver's ribcage from the steering wheel (Mercedes, 1966), shock-absorbing bumpers (Saab, 1971), the side-impact protection bar in the doors (Saab 99, 1972) and a seat designed to limit the risk of the body sliding beneath the seatbelt (anti-submarining). Volvo introduced the headrest in 1968 to reduce the risk of whiplash, and the system was improved in 1995 by Saab on its 9-5, with an active system that brings the headrest closer to the head in the case of rear impact, while the Lexus LS introduced a motorized system that responds in anticipation of collision. Another key safety feature is the airbag. It was introduced by General Motors in 1973, in order to prevent the driver’s head hitting the steering wheel, and to protect occupants not wearing seatbelts. In 1986, Audi tested another solution: the Proconten, which moved the steering wheel away from the driver’s head at the moment of impact. The system was 9 entirely mechanical, consisting of wires fitted to the front of the vehicle, and a series of guides. If the front of the car received an impact, the wires would pull on the steering wheel. This unusual system was not developed further, and was superseded by the effective and relatively easy to fit airbag. After front airbags fitted in the steering wheel and above the glove compartment, other airbags appeared as follows: the side airbag to protect the pelvis (Mercedes E Class, 1996), then the thorax, the curtain airbag (Mercedes E Class, 1999) and the knee airbag (BMW 7 Series, 2001). Several even more specific designs have been sold, such as the anti-submarining airbag on the Renault Megane Coupé in 2002 and the twin-chamber airbag for the front passenger in the Lexus IS, in 2006. The passenger airbag can usually be deactivated in order to place a child seat in the front, and the deployment speed of the front airbags is sometimes linked to the longitudinal position of the seats. According to new EU regulations, since October 2005, new vehicles must be designed to offer greater pedestrian protection in the event of an impact. The major consequences have been a more vertical shape of the front end, to reduce knee and femur injuries, as well as a bigger gap between the hood and the top of the engine, in order to lessen the impact of a pedestrian’s head against the hood in the case of collision. Models such as the Honda Legend and the Citroën C6 V6, which cannot incorporate this gap, are equipped with a system that lifts the hood on impact. More pressure has been brought by organizations including governments, automobile associations and insurance companies, urging automakers to improve occupant protection. These include the NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) in the United States, EuroNCap in Europe, ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program) in Australia and NASVA (National Agency for Automotive Safety & Victim's Aid) in Japan. Their tests on front and side impacts involve higher speeds and harsher conditions than official regulations. Some organizations have introduced measures concerning the securing of infants in seats, and pedestrian collision. The wide media coverage of the results has assured the success of the campaigns and prompted the automakers to take action. A Mercedes C Class, for example, that obtained two stars from the EuroNCAP in 1997 rose to five stars in 2002, and a Honda Accord that received a “poor” rating for side impact from the NCAP with the 2003- 2004 model was rated “good” with the 2004 model, which was fitted with side airbags. 2.3. The age of active safety Active safety, which encompasses all factors that contribute to the prevention of accidents, including good tires, the precise guiding of wheels, and effective suspension and brakes, has made a major leap forward with the introduction of anti-lock braking. This system is better known under its acronym ABS, which stands for Anti-lock Braking System, or Antiblockiersystem in German. The advantage of preventing wheel-locking is that it ensures sufficient grip and, even more importantly, preserves steering capacity so that the vehicle does not veer out of control. The idea of ABS in cars dates back some time. In 1966, the Jensen FF was already fitted with a mechanical system that had been developed for planes, but it was not until 1978 that an effective, reliable system was introduced, on the Mercedes S Class. The modern ABS enjoyed the benefit of mechatronics, allowing it to use speed sensors on the wheels and high-frequency solenoid valves to open and close hydraulic circuits. A number of improvements have been made, concerning the number of sensors and hydraulic circuits operated, the speed of regulation and ease of installation in the vehicle. The stability control system is a variation of ABS, whose generic name is ESC (Electronic Stability Control), but it is better known as ESP (Electronic Stability Program), the name given it by its inventor. Its purpose is to help steer the car where the driver wants to go, if the tires start to lose their grip on the road. It works using yaw rate control (yaw is the force of rotation around the vertical axis running through the vehicle’s center of gravity) which corrects over- or under-steering by selectively operating the brakes on one or more wheels. ESC was first used in 1995, again on the Mercedes S Class. In addition to the sensors already in place for ABS, ESC measures the angle of rotation of the steering wheel, lateral acceleration, and the yawing moment. Some programs now supplement it with features such as hill start assistance, and systems that limit trailer sway and prevent trailers rolling over. Some systems can be delayed or disabled for sportier driving. Finally, today's braking systems are often equipped with emergency braking assistance. [...]... Europe every year Daytime running lights are currently mandatory in Scandinavian countries: Sweden since 1977, Norway since 1986, Iceland since 1988, Denmark since 1990 and Finland since 1982 These countries were joined in 2006 by Croatia, Austria and the Czech Republic Canada requires daytime running lights on cars produced since 1 December 1989 and Hungary requires daytime running lights to be used... ESP mandatory for all new types of car as of October 2012 and on all models produced as of October 2014 Around 50% of new cars were equipped with the system in the US and Europe, and 25% in Japan 4.2 Pedestrian impact A first pedestrian protection standard (directive 2005/66/EC) was introduced in Europe on 1 October 2005, in order to protect pedestrians from the consequences of being hit by a car Cars. .. and equipped like top-end models, fatal and serious accidents could be cut by half 4.1 ABS and ESP ABS, the anti-lock braking system, is compulsory on cars in Europe, the United States and Japan Emerging countries have yet to legislate, but average-sized low-cost cars like the Dacia Logan are also fitted with ABS In China, two out of every three new cars have ABS, and one out of every seven have ABS in... for cars equipped with the interlock 18 5 Key emerging trends A wide range of new technologies to increase the safety of road travel are in the pipeline: • Active safety (when drivers are involved in a dangerous situation, whether or not they can react) • Passive safety (when the driver and the car are no longer able to avoid a collision) • After a crash, to summon help and assistance 5.1 Active safety. .. perform a number of checks and actions almost simultaneously and often at high speed, such as checking the interior and exterior rearview mirrors, activating the indicator, steering and accelerating, all with an eye on the speed and position of the other vehicles The driver also has to cope with a blind spot, an area of poor visibility between their lateral field of vision and the area covered by the... the driver with a light appropriately situated in the wing mirror This safety information is immediate and intuitive The radar is not sensitive to most meteorological conditions, such as heavy rain and blizzards Valeo's blind spot detection is available on several General Motors brands, including Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet and GMC, and is also fitted on the new Jaguar XF By 2010, it will equip 27 models... accidentology, biomechanics and behavioral studies • World Health Organization (WHO) 3.4 Balancing safety against the environment The need to increase passenger protection often conflicts with another major objective: reducing consumption, pollutants and CO2 emissions The development of passive safety has added a lot of weight to today's cars This extra weight consists of cabin reinforcement and shock absorption,... instigating a "dialogue" between information and communication technologies and road infrastructures, vehicles and motorists They can exchange many kinds of information: • Traffic information: displays indicating the amount of traffic and warning of traffic jams, highway radio stations, traffic management, and online road information services • Driving information and warnings: speeding, driving too close,... Tests in Sweden and Holland have given positive results The French LAVIA—a limiting system that takes account of the legal speed limit—was tested on around a hundred volunteers between November 2004 and January 2006 in the western Paris suburbs, on twenty different cars (Renault Laguna and Peugeot 307) The study found that the system was useful above 30 kph when permanently active and above 50 kph... width of the vehicle The frequency of the signal indicates the remaining distance, intensifying gradually and becoming continuous at around 30cm This solution offers a genuine feeling of safety and increased confidence during reversing and parking maneuvers Parallel parking is difficult and stressful, and can lead to accidents The Park4U™ system automatically carries out the maneuver in just a few seconds, . Cars and safety September 2008 1 Cars and safety 1. THE CURRENT SITUATION 2 1.1. A WORLDWIDE. DEVELOPMENTS IN VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEMS 8 2.1. THE PREMISES OF AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY 8 2.2. THE DEVELOPMENT OF PASSIVE SAFETY 8 2.3. THE AGE OF ACTIVE SAFETY 9 2.4.