white paper safety eng

8/3/2019 White Paper Safety Eng

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Cars and safety September 2008


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Cars and safety

1. THE CURRENT SITUATION.............................................................................................. 21.1. A WORLDWIDE PROBLEM ................................................................................................ 21.2. INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES ........................................................................................... 51.3. EMERGING COUNTRIES ................................................................................................... 7

2. DEVELOPMENTS IN VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEMS...................................................... 8

2.1. THE PREMISES OF AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY ......................................................................... 82.2. THE DEVELOPMENT OF PASSIVE SAFETY ......................................................................... 82.3. THE AGE OF ACTIVE SAFETY............................................................................................ 92.4. POST-COLLISION ASSISTANCE.......................................................................................10

3. CHALLENGES TO OVERCOME .....................................................................................11

3.1. DEVELOPMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE............................................................................113.2. INFORMATION AND LEGISLATION ...................................................................................123.3. RISK BY AGE GROUP .....................................................................................................133.4. BALANCING SAFETY AGAINST THE ENVIRONMENT ..........................................................143.5. ACCEPTANCE OF DRIVING ASSISTANCE AND SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES ............................15

4. REGULATIONS TO COME ..............................................................................................16

4.1. ABS AND ESP .............................................................................................................164.2. PEDESTRIAN IMPACT.....................................................................................................164.3. BRAKING ASSISTANCE SYSTEM .....................................................................................164.4. AUTOMATIC BRAKING ....................................................................................................164.5. DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT..............................................................................................174.6. EMERGENCY CALLS ......................................................................................................17

4.7. TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING .......................................................................................174.8. ON-BOARD BREATHALYZER...........................................................................................18

5. KEY EMERGING TRENDS ..............................................................................................19

5.1. ACTIVE SAFETY.............................................................................................................195.2. PASSIVE SAFETY...........................................................................................................22

6. VALEO SOLUTIONS ........................................................................................................25

6.1. DRIVING ASSISTANCE FOR LOW SPEEDS .......................................................................256.2. DRIVING ASSISTANCE FOR MEDIUM AND HIGH SPEEDS ..................................................256.3. IMPROVING VISIBILITY ...................................................................................................266.4. GREATER PEDESTRIAN PROTECTION.............................................................................27

7. CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................29


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1. The current situationThe dictionary describes an accident as an unexpected and undesirable event. Accidentsare not unavoidable, however, and this applies to traffic accidents too. There are manyways 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 1.2million 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 unlessfurther preventative action is taken. Between 1990 and 2020, road accidents are predictedto rise from ninth to third place among the principal causes of death and ill health.

DALY* rankingof the 10 principal causes of the global burden of disease

Position

1990Disease or injury

Position

2020Disease or injury

1 Lower respiratory tract infections 1 Ischemic cardiopathy2 Diarrhea-related illnesses 2 Major unipolar depression3 Perinatal conditions 3 Traffic accidents4 Major unipolar depression 4 Cerebrovascular diseases5 Ischemic cardiopathy 5 Chronic obstructive bronchopneumopathy6 Cerebrovascular diseases 6 Lower respiratory tract infections

7 Tuberculosis 7 Tuberculosis8 Measles 8 War9 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 thenumber 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 particularlyworrying as, unlike in rich countries, the level is constantly rising. A study carried out by theWorld Bank in 2003 predicted a fall of 27% in traffic fatalities in high-income countries, andan increase of 83% in low- or medium-income countries.

Predicted traffic fatalities by region (1)

Deaths

(inthousands)

Deaths per

millioninhabitantsRegion

Number

ofcountries

2000 2020

Change (%)

200020202000 2020

Sub-Saharan Africa 46 80 144 80% 123 149

South America & Caribbean 31 122 380 48% 261 310East 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 roadaccidents.

The economic cost of road accidents and resulting injuries is estimated at $518 billion.


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The World Banks 2005 World Development Indicators, below, provide a visual summary.By distorting the countries, these maps clearly show the contradiction between the numberof accidents and the number of cars per inhabitant. The number of road deaths also variesfor 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 othercountries (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 wasat 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).


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Number of traffic fatalities per million inhabitants and per million vehicles (2006 dataor the latest available)

The population's motorization rate also reveals wide discrepancies between developingcountries. Per million vehicles, Russia is the clear leader among the countries analyzedabove by the OECD, followed by Turkey, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland and Greece.

For the most part, the mortalityrate is the highest for occupantsof cars, motorcycles andmopeds. In some countries withvery dense populationspedestrians account for thegreatest number of deaths,however. Hong Kong, Koreaand Sri Lanka, for example,

have 67%, 48% and 45% of thetotal. Some cities also have highdeath rates among pedestrians,for example Delhi (India) andColombo (Sri Lanka).

According to a surveycommissioned by the G8, it isestimated that road accidents inlow- and medium-incomecountries represent a cost of$64.5 billion. The survey also found that deaths were mainly among men, and this has animmediate 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 1990and 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)


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1.2. Industrialized countries

Of all industrialized countries, the United States stands out for having the highest rate oftraffic fatalities, despite very strict speed limits: nearly 150 per million inhabitants, comparedto less than 100 elsewhere. It should also be noted that, unlike the other countriesmentioned, its level of fatalities is barely falling at all. The main finding was the highaccident rate in rural areas, where 57% of accidents occur, despite these areas accountingfor 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, whichalso leads to higher speeds than on local drives. Rural accidents therefore tend to be moreserious: 80% of vehicles involved in an accident in rural areas are written off, compared to67% in urban areas.

The main causes of trafficfatalities are loss of controlof the vehicle, and alcoholconsumption. These arecompounded by aphenomenon specific to theUS: just 84% of occupantswear seatbelts in urbanareas and 78% in ruralareas. 51% of people killedin 2006 were not wearing aseatbelt. The US is alsounlike other countries in thatwhen small cars (e.g.private cars) and heavy vehicles (SUVs, pick-ups) are involved in the same accident, thepassengers 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 fatalaccidents per million inhabitants in 1991 to 86 in 2006. The figure is 48% for the 27 currentmember states. At 61%, the most dramatic progress was achieved by Portugal. Thissuccess is due to a plan launched in March 2003, which involved building more than 1,100km 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(%)

Withseatbelt

Withoutseatbelt

Notknown

Total

Not ejected 55 38 7 100Ejected 9 87 5 100

Not known 9 33 58 100

Ruralareas

Total 41 53 6 100Not ejected 53 37 10 100

Ejected 8 83 8 100Not known 15 28 57 100

Urban

areas

Total 43 47 10 100

Grand total 41 51 8 100


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respectively, combating alcoholism and providing better protection for pedestrians, cyclistsand 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 highestand risingmortality 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 factleading 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 drivingpractices which kill no-one and injure no-one. The Netherlands has also introduced aprogram, 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 urbanpopulation: 79%. Old people are the most affected by road accidents; in 2007, over-65swere 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 studyfound 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: NHTSAs 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)


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1.3. Emerging countries

Leaving the US aside, with 43,000 traffic fatalities in 2006, China, India, Brazil and Russiawere the top four countries in terms of road deaths, largely because of their largepopulations.

Road deaths outside high-income countries

Country Year Number of trafficfatalities

Number of deathsper millioninhabitants

China 2002 250 007 190India 2002 85 000 81Brazil 1995 38 051 256Russia 2006 32 000 230Thailand 1994 12 411 210Mexico 2000 10 525 118South Korea 2001 10 496 219Colombia 1998 8 917 242Venezuela 2000 5 198 231Egypt 2000 4 717 75Argentina 1997 3 468 99

1.3.1. China

China has by far the largest number of road deaths, accounting for 2.6% of vehiclesworldwide, and 21% of traffic fatalities in 2002. This figure is rising, owing to a general lackof interest in safety and to the fact that vehicle numbers are increasing faster than the roadnetwork is expanding. Car ownership in China is booming, particularly among the middleclasses. 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 becomethe biggest automotive market by 2020.

1.3.2. India

Road traffic in India is characterized by a high proportion of motorcycles and mopeds, theoverloading of vehicles, such as several people riding on one moped, and a low proportionof people wearing helmets. The roads are in a poor state of repair, and as in othercountries, the mortality statistics declared by the police are probably lower than the actuallevels. 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 thecountry. Risk is aggravated by the high number of heavy vehicles on the roads, and thereckless 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). Theprincipal causes are highway code violations and the disastrous state of the road network.In November 2005, President Vladimir Putin announced the modernization of the highwaysas a priority. Traffic is expected to increase tenfold by 2020. Mr Putin also demanded thataction be taken to protect pedestrians.

Sources: World Bank report on fatal road accidents and economic growth World Health Organization (WHO) (OECD) Asian Highway database


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entirely mechanical, consisting of wires fitted to the front of the vehicle, and a series ofguides. 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 andrelatively easy to fit airbag. After front airbags fitted in the steering wheel and above theglove 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 Coup in 2002 and thetwin-chamber airbag for the front passenger in the Lexus IS, in 2006. The passenger airbagcan usually be deactivated in order to place a child seat in the front, and the deploymentspeed 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 tooffer greater pedestrian protection in the event of an impact. The major consequences havebeen a more vertical shape of the front end, to reduce knee and femur injuries, as well as abigger gap between the hood and the top of the engine, in order to lessen the impact of apedestrians head against the hood in the case of collision. Models such as the HondaLegend and the Citron C6 V6, which cannot incorporate this gap, are equipped with asystem that lifts the hood on impact.

More pressure has been brought by organizations including governments, automobileassociations and insurance companies, urging automakers to improve occupant protection.These include the NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) in the United States, EuroNCapin 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 andside impacts involve higher speeds and harsher conditions than official regulations. Someorganizations have introduced measures concerning the securing of infants in seats, andpedestrian collision. The wide media coverage of the results has assured the success ofthe campaigns and prompted the automakers to take action. A Mercedes C Class, forexample, that obtained two stars from the EuroNCAP in 1997 rose to five stars in 2002, anda 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 isbetter 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 ensuressufficient grip and, even more importantly, preserves steering capacity so that the vehicledoes not veer out of control. The idea of ABS in cars dates back some time. In 1966, theJensen FF was already fitted with a mechanical system that had been developed forplanes, but it was not until 1978 that an effective, reliable system was introduced, on theMercedes 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 closehydraulic circuits. A number of improvements have been made, concerning the number ofsensors and hydraulic circuits operated, the speed of regulation and ease of installation inthe vehicle.

The stability control system is a variation of ABS, whose generic name is ESC (ElectronicStability Control), but it is better known as ESP (Electronic Stability Program), the namegiven it by its inventor. Its purpose is to help steer the car where the driver wants to go, ifthe tires start to lose their grip on the road. It works using yaw rate control (yaw is the forceof rotation around the vertical axis running through the vehicles center of gravity) whichcorrects 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 sensorsalready 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 featuressuch as hill start assistance, and systems that limit trailer sway and prevent trailers rollingover. Some systems can be delayed or disabled for sportier driving. Finally, today's brakingsystems are often equipped with emergency braking assistance.


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The tires are the only parts of the vehicle in contact with the ground. They contribute toactive safety by guaranteeing grip in all conditions, dry and wet, on gravel or snow. Theperformance of the tire tread, made from vulcanized rubber, is nonetheless dependent ontemperature. The M&S (Mud & Snow) tire for winter conditions appeared in 1972(Continental). It uses rubber suited to low temperatures, and its tread is made up of stripsto ensure better grip on snowy or icy surfaces. Punctures can also be a safety issue. There

is no cure for the problem, but tires with strong side walls offer a partial solution. As earlyas 1934, Goodyear launched its Lifeguard concept with air chamber, and in 1983Continental presented its CTS (ContiTyreSystem), without an inner chamber. Finally, in2006 Bridgestone supplied a ring system to support the tread of large-size tires, on theToyota RAV4 D-4D 180.

Lighting is undergoing a major revolution. After the arrival of the H1 halogen bulb, then ofValeos first complex shape headlamp on the Citron XM in 1989, the first Xenon dischargelamp appeared in 1991 on the BMW 7 Series. This technology delivers a quality close todaylight, with lower electricity consumption and a lifetime equal to that of the car. The costof Xenon lamps is limiting take-up, however. The new LED (light emitting diode) technologywill probably not encounter this problem in the future. LEDs first appeared on the third stoplamp, then on the daytime running lights in 2003 (Audi A8 W12 6.0 Quattro), the front

indicators in 2006 (Porsche 911 turbo) and dipped headlamps in 2007 (Audi R8). SinceMay 2008, the Audi R8 has featured all-LED exterior lighting, including the headlamps.Some headlamps are adjustable.

In 1918, manually operated directional headlamps were fitted on the Cadillac Type 57, thenin 1967, with an automatic system, on the Citron DS. In 2003, Valeo supplied fixedheadlamps directed to the side for the Porsche Cayenne. This feature is governed by theangle of rotation of the steering wheel for lighting on bends at low speeds, for example inurban or mountainous conditions. Dipped headlamps with directional lighting of up to 15 athigh speeds have become available this year in Japan, on a Toyota Harrier. In 2005, BMWresolved the problem of dazzling oncoming drivers by offering automatic switching betweenhigh and low beams, and since 2006, the Mercedes E Class has had several types ofbeam. In 1999 Cadillac launched Night Visionan infrared vision system that increases the

range of night visionbut take-up remains limited. The system projects a black and whiteimage on a screen.

Short- and long-range sensors have recently appeared on cars to make driving safer. In2004, Citron equipped its C4 with an unintentional lane departure warning systemdeveloped with Valeo. The following year, the French supplier equipped the Infiniti FX andM45 with its camera-based LaneVue lane departure warning system. In 2006, the LexusLS460 extended this system to the steering (the LKA system), and also has an infraredcamera that monitors the drivers concentration. In 1999, long-range radar enabled theMercedes S and SL Classes to monitor the distance from the vehicle in front, a systeminitially used by the cruise control. Since 2006, a similar radar has provided the firstautomatic braking system on the Honda Legend, reducing vehicle speed when collision isconsidered unavoidable.

2.4. Post-collision assistance

Safety has also developed in the field of post-accident assistance. In 1996, Cadillaclaunched its On-Star system, which includes the automatic notification of airbagdeployment. The system alerts a call center, specifying the exact location of the accident toensure the fastest possible intervention of the emergency services.

Source: www.auto-innovations.com


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3. Challenges to overcome

3.1. Development of infrastructure

According to research carried out in industrialized countries, fewer accidents occur onhighways than on other roads. Per passenger kilometer, highways are four times safer thancountry roads and six times safer than roads in built-up areas. It is therefore desirable toextend the highway network. The upkeep of a vast network, however, is more complicated,and has become a serious problem in North America, where tunnels, bridges andcarriageways are poorly maintained. The latest significant example is the bridge thatcollapsed on 1 August 2007, plunging over 50 vehicles into the Mississippi river. InPennsylvania and Massachusetts, over 55% of bridges are reckoned to be unsound orageing. A large number of complaints are recorded in Europe about crash barriers thathave only one rail at mid-height and none at ground level. Motorcycling organizations reportthat the supports become lethally sharp in the event of a fall. Guardrails are gradually beingplaced over the supports, but highway management companies are also beginning toreplace central crash barriers with concrete walls for economic reasonsconcrete barriersdo not need replacing after a crash. Their impact resistance increases the severity of thecollision, however, causing greater damage to vehicles and injury to their occupants.

Several states, especially in the US, have created websites on which road users can reportproblems they have encountered. Entitled "Report a Road Problem", these sites representan effective information network, warning of broken traffic lights, for example, defectivecarriageways, and missing road signs. In Germany, the ADAC launched a EuroRAP(European Road Assessment Program) program in 2004 to assess road safety. Twospecially equipped vehicles measure the quality of the carriageway. After analyzing 1,200kilometers of road, the program delivered a league table, and EuroRAP has since beenused in six other European countries. Safety can also be increased by replacing crossroadswith roundabouts, building bridges instead of level crossings, adding road signs to prevent

wrong-way traffic etc.

Emerging countries face a very different set of challenges, since their priority is building uptheir infrastructure to cope with the surge in the number of road users. China is naturallythe most active country, having built over 32,000 km of highway in ten years. In fact, theChinese highway network is currently the largest in the world, after that of the UnitedStates. This new means of transport has unfortunately increased the number of accidentslinked to a lack of "road safety awareness" of many new drivers. The road network shouldbe designed in the light of the heterogeneous nature of transport available: trucks, cars,coaches, motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles, horses and pedestrians all jostle for space on theroad! In India, for example, most people use motorized two-wheeled vehicles, whichincreased tenfold between 1985 and 2002, but have no special lanes. Often, however, it ispedestrians who fall victim to motorized traffic. Infrastructure should therefore be adapted

to their needs and behavior, with sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, bridges and tunnels. InBrazil, Mexico, Sri Lanka and Uganda, pedestrians apparently prefer to cross a dangerousroad than to take a detour over a bridge.

Sources: Scurit routire (France) Observatoire National Interministriel de la Scurit Routire (France) European Road Safety Observatory CARE (EU road accidents database) International Road Traffic and Accident Database (IRTAD) Department of Transportation (US)


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3.2. Information and legislation

According to LAB, the laboratory ofaccidentology, biomechanics and behavioralstudies, 80% of road accidents are causedby human error. Raising road safetyawareness is therefore a top priority, andmany countries, especially in Europe, haveimplemented progressive educationalprograms that start at school. Depending on

the age of the children, the content covers a wide range of situations, ranging from thebehavior of pedestrians to driving a car, via cycling and motorcycling.

For drivers, several countries offer preparatory training to future motorists, which consistsof one or two years of driving with a tutor, usually a parent. In Australia, this kind of training,which is called L17, allows young people to start learning to drive at the age of 16 and topass their driving test at 17 if they have driven over 3,000 kms. According to one study,drivers who have taken L17 have 15% fewer accidents in their first 10,000 kms than those

taught in the traditional way, and they have committed half as many offences. 25% ofyoung Australians now choose the L17. A similar program exists in France, where youngpeople taught using this method take their test an average of 1.3 times, compared to 1.7times for other drivers. In Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg,Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, drivers areawarded a definitive license that is conditional on their behavior for the first years. Youngmotorists may, for example, have to drive with a limited number of passengers, forexample, or a lower level of alcohol or lower speed limit, or with a restriction of nightdriving.

Once the driving license has been granted, however, there is no compulsory continuoustraining. Motorists receive information via the media and information campaigns: changesto the speed limit or alcohol limit, new road signs, reevaluation etc. Current campaigns tend

to be hard-hitting, but are often controversial. Most research reveals a correlation betweenthe fear created and the convincing nature of the message. These campaigns areparticularly effective on people who had previously not felt concerned by the issue. InFrance, the introduction of points on driving licenses has enabled the government to senddrivers with several highway code violations on mandatory training courses. Most of thesecourses have a very broad content, but some countries have courses specially designed forpeople committing speeding offences, like Austria, Belgium and the UK. Examiningaccident statistics, however, generally reveals a weak impact on the risk of accidents.

In industrialized countries, a significant number of journeys are made by drivers with nolicense. In France, 33,030 drivers were caught without a license in 2005. Two main reasonswere given: the excessive cost of driving lessons, and the need to travel after losing one'slicense. In emerging countries, the priority is to create a culture of road safety. Before

China's rapid growth, Chinese people with cars also had drivers, but today, after a threefoldincrease in the number of cars over the last six years, most motorists are young drivers.These countries also need to pass new laws. Current regulations governing truck driversare insufficient, for example, with no limit on driving time and no regular medical check-up.

A large number of studies have shown that road-safety campaigns are effective when theyare launched at the same time as new tests or penalties. Whatever a country's level ofdevelopment, speeding remains the most widely controlled and the most frequent violation.Almost all countries have mobile speed radars. Speeding violations are always punishedwith a fine (up to 693 in Canada), but can also lead to a temporary suspension of thedriver's license, or loss of points if this system is in place. Some countries have opted forthe massive deployment of stationary radars. The French government, for example, relatesthe dramatic fall in road deaths to the implementation of this punitive policy. In New

Zealand, researchers have examined the subjective risk of speed controls, finding thatincreasing controls andpossibly more importantlyincreased fear of controls havehelped to reduce traffic speed and the number of accidents.

Human errors leading to an accident

Inaccurate perception of danger 30%

Incorrect response to danger 20%Poor judgment 20%Imprecise interpretation 20%Total failure 10%


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Drivers are also controlled for compliance with seatbelt regulations, traffic signals, legalalcohol levels and consumption of illicit substances. The risk of an accident is doubled, onaverage, if the level of alcohol in the bloodstream exceeds 0.5g per liter and rises seven- oreightfold if this reaches 0.8g per liter. Legal limits vary from country to country, between0.2g and 0.8g per liter. Sometimes a specific limit is specified for young drivers, bus drivers,

truck drivers and motorcyclists. The idea of an onboard test in the vehicle is gainingground. Components manufacturers and the Swedish automakers Saab and Volvo offerthis equipment, popular on company cars, as an option. Testing for drugs was until recentlyproblematic, since it required a urine test, but a saliva test is now available, although itcannot detect all banned substances. According to some specialists, saliva contains verylittle cannabis, for example, and a blood test is required in the event of a positive result.

Sources: Studies: Kaltenegger, 2004, Hastings and Kennie, Ker et al, 2005, Elvik and Vaa, 2004,

Masten and Peck, 2003, Povey et al, 2003 International transport forum OECD Scurit routire (France)

3.3. Risk by age group

The number of road deaths varies for different age groups. Young people are the mostlikely to be involved in road accidents, with those aged between 18 and 24 accounting for25% of road deaths, although they represent just 10% of the global population. In the 15-24age group, the proportion of deaths is 59% for cars (both drivers and passengers), 19% formotorcycles and 17% for pedestrians. Young men face a risk between three and four timesas high.

There are many reasons,

including a lack of drivingexperience, failure toadhere to the highwaycode and a tendency totake risks. Thephenomenon is alsoexacerbated by theirbehavior at the weekend,especially on Friday andSaturday nights, withfatigue, night conditions,peer pressure, drinkingand drug-taking. Every

year in Europe, over 2,000young people die during nights out. After an experiment conducted in Belgium, severalEuropean countries have launched campaigns designed to promote safety on the drivehome, with one person acting as a designated driver, remaining sober to drive the othershome.

The other high-risk group is the elderly, especially as the next thirty years will see theproportion of those aged over 60 increasing in all countries. In France, the over-65saccounted for 52% of pedestrians and 30% of cyclists killed in traffic accidents in 2007,although they represent just 16% of the population. In Spain and the Netherlands, medicalcheck-ups have revealed that one in ten motorists aged 50 and one in six aged 70 isdriving without the correct glasses or contact lenses. Older drivers do not have moreaccidents than average, however, because they compensate for their declining capacity by

driving more slowly and avoiding difficult driving conditions. Nevertheless, in the event of anaccident, they are more vulnerable. An increase in the risk per kilometer can be observedafter the age of 70 or 80. A British study demonstrated their difficulties with drivingtheyare more likely to be involved in an accident at a T junction (34%) or a crossroads (14.6%),

Road deaths of young adults aged 18-25

yearly European average


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because they have to join one or several traffic flows, as opposed to a roundabout (4.8%)where the traffic is all flowing the same way.

Sources: CARE Association de la prvention routire LAB, the laboratory of 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 extraweight consists of cabin reinforcement and shock absorption, between two and nineairbags, and any number of comfort functions. In 1974, for example, the first everVolkswagen Golf, at entry-level, weighed 780 kg when empty. In 2007, the fifth generation

weighed 1,155 kg. Increasing the mass by around 10% generates additional fuelconsumption of 6-8% and a similar rise in CO2 emissions. Well aware that they cannot turnthe clock back for safety and comfort, automakers are therefore adapting vehicle designsand using materials with better strength-weight ratios, like high-yield steel, aluminum,magnesium and hi-tech plastics. Recent models seem to indicate that weight has stabilizedand may even have begun to decline.

Tires are the only part of the car that is in contact with the ground, and the vehicle's activesafety is closely correlated with their ability to adhere to all kinds of surface in a wide rangeof temperatures. Unfortunately, however, simply by rolling over the roadway, tires loseenergy to the extent of 20% of consumption! There are tires with lower rolling drag, but theyhave lower adherence, needing an additional eight meters to bring the vehicle to a halt at100kph on wet ground, according to Continental, a tire manufacturer which recommends

the pan-European deployment of a label combining rolling drag with braking on a wetsurface. The label would allow motorists to choose the best compromise between theenvironment and road safety.

SWOV, a European study, has found that daytime running lights would reduce the numberof fatal collisions by 25%. Most vehicles do not have specific lights for this purpose, andusing dipped halogen headlamps can increase the vehicle's consumption by up to 0.2l per100km. Xenon and LED lamps would solve the problem, but they are currently available onnew models only.

Air conditioning also increases consumption by 6-20%. In fact, only slower driving on someroads is compatible with safety, energy savings and emissions reduction.

Sources: ADEME Continental AG State of the art with respect to implementation of daytime running lights, SWOV


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3.5. Acceptance of driving assistance and safety technologies

Advanced technologies designed for driving assistance can have unforeseen effects,mainly because they cause the driver to pay less attention and to trust the car's new control

devices. Overconfident drivers have been seen speeding, driving too close to other carsand driving aggressively, since the introduction of ABS and ESC. Similarly, a study byContinental TEMIC suggests that using automatic cruise control requires an adaptationperiod of at least two weeks, and UMTRI, the University of Michigan Transport Institute hasfound that only 54% of drivers consider that a speeding alert would be useful on bends.

Several European countries are working on speed adaptation systems as part of the ISA(Intelligent Speed Adaptation) project, and researchers have tested speed support systemsthat display or alert the driver to the speed limit, and speed control systems that alert thedriver and change the speed of the vehicle. Tests carried out in Sweden have shown that60% of drivers wanted to keep the speed limit alert, but only 29% wanted the speedmodification system. The systems had some negative effects, with drivers placing too muchtrust in the speed limit given by the system and not enough in the real-time situation, orrelaxing to the extent that they paid more attention to other tasks than to their driving.

The Vienna Convention, signed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe(UNECE) states that "drivers must be in control of their vehicles at all times".


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4. Regulations to come

According to the European Commission, if all vehicles were protected and equipped liketop-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 andJapan. Emerging countries have yet to legislate, but average-sized low-cost cars like theDacia 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 Brazil.

ESC, or Electronic Stability Control, will gradually be made mandatory in the United States,beginning with 2012 models of vehicles up to 4.5 tonnes (starting in September 2011). Agovernment study has shown that 10,000 lives can be saved by the system every year. Thesame study reports that ESC is the most important safety system after the seatbelt.EuroNCAP estimates that the system can save 4,000 lives every year. The EuropeanCommission has proposed, but not yet adopted, a law making ESP mandatory for all newtypes of car as of October 2012 and on all models produced as of October 2014. Around50% 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 on1 October 2005, in order to protect pedestrians from the consequences of being hit by acar. Cars complying with the new standard will absorb energy from the impact better, onthe front end at the level of the pedestrian's legs and hips and on the bonnet at the level ofa child or an adult's head.

A second phase of this standard, 2003/102/EC, is planned for 2012, with a greater number

of more stringent tests, especially concerning the protection of children's heads and adults'pelvic and abdominal area. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the US hasproposed a raft of measures for pedestrian protection.

4.3. Braking assistance system

According to the European Commission, making the braking assistance system compulsorywould save 1,100 lives a year and reduce the number of seriously injured by 46,000. Thesystem was developed when people realized that most drivers are too nervous to presshard on the brake pedal or release pressure in an emergency stop, which increasesbraking distance.

The braking assistance system, which is not to be confused with a brake power-assist unit

(servo brake), automatically maintains maximum braking power if the driver unconsciouslyreleases the pedal after pressing down on it rapidly.

The system is already either factory-fitted or available as an option on most cars, and willprobably be made compulsory in Europe as of October 2009. It is variously known as AFU(aide au freinage d'urgence), EBA (emergency brake assist), BAS (brake assist system),and BA (brake assist). It is expected to be made compulsory in Europe as of October 2009.

4.4. Automatic braking

This collision avoidance system measures the distance from the car to the vehicle in frontas well as the approach speed. It uses detection sensors based on millimetric waves foraverage and high speeds and a camera for low speeds. If it considers that the car iscoming too close or too fast, it alerts the driver with a sound, visual and/or sensory signal

(pulses tightening the seatbelt or small brake pulse) two or three seconds before theprojected collision. If a collision is inevitable, partial automatic braking is applied toattenuate the consequences.


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4.5. Daytime running light

Daytime running lights help vehicles to be seen better during the day. The idea is toincrease visibility in areas which are temporarily darkened and in heavy traffic, and to spotvehicles at greater distances. According to the Dutch Institute SWOV, the use of daytimerunning lights would cut the number of road deaths by 25%, and the number of injured indaytime pile-ups by 20%. Based on the countries that have already applied this measure,this estimate equates to 5,500 fewer deaths and 155,000 fewer injuries in Europe everyyear. Daytime running lights are currently mandatory in Scandinavian countries: Swedensince 1977, Norway since 1986, Iceland since 1988, Denmark since 1990 and Finlandsince 1982. These countries were joined in 2006 by Croatia, Austria and the CzechRepublic. Canada requires daytime running lights on cars produced since 1 December1989 and Hungary requires daytime running lights to be used on country roads. Somecountries accept dipped headlights if the car does not have specific daytime running lights.Daytime running lights or dipped lights are sometimes mandatory for motorcycles.

The European Commission will probably introduce this requirement as of 2011 for cars and2012 for trucks and coaches. It has its opponents, however: motorcyclists whose vehicleswould become less distinct, environmental lobbyists worried about the additional CO2, andsome motorists concerned by the increase in sonsumption. There are new technological

solutions for reducing headlamp consumption. The United States and Japan have no plansin this area.

4.6. Emergency calls

In Europe, experts reckon that up to 2,500 lives could be saved every year if the alertsystem and the response of the emergency services to an accident were improved.Emergency-room doctors say that the consequences of an accident are often less serious ifthe emergency services respond very rapidly.

The emergency call system provides a solution to this problem, sending an automatic GSMwarning to an emergency center in the event of an accident. It also gives the preciselocation of the vehicle via a GPS system, as well as other data such as airbag deployment,the client's mobile number and the chassis number, which indicates the make and color of

the car. The center can then request the rapid intervention of the emergency services, whowill already have accurate information. It can also try to contact the occupants of thevehicle in order to determine how many they are and how badly injured. The passengerscan also active the emergency call manually in order to inform the center of an accidentconcerning another vehicle. BMW, Citron, Mercedes, Peugeot, Rolls-Royce, Volvo andGeneral Motors all sell this system in some countries. Ford offers it in the US, using thedriver's mobile telephone's Bluetooth connection.

The European Commission would like to include the system, known as eCall, in a standardemergency call service reached on 112. Almost half the member states of the EuropeanUnion have signed the eCall protocol for the equipment of all new vehicles. The regulationis expected to come into force in 2010.

4.7. Tire pressure monitoring

In the US, a tire pressure monitoring system has been mandatory for all vehicles with agross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less (4,536 kg) since 1 September 2007.All four tires must be checked, and the system alerts the driver if the pressure in one ofthem falls below 75% of its recommended level.

The regulation was imposed after a number of accidents, usually involving SUVs and pick-ups, caused by faulty tires. The NHTSA recorded 414 dead and 10,275 injured as a resultof defective tires in 2003.

In Europe, tire pressure surveillance is only mandatory if the vehicle is equipped with run-

flat tires to avoid situations in which the driver continues to drive normally without realizingthat one of the tires is punctured. The European Commission is interested in the safetyadvantages of the system, however, and also its associated fuel savings and reduced CO 2emissions. A pressure drop of 1 bar increases fuel consumption by an average of 6%.


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4.8. On-board breathalyzer

Onboard breathalyzers can prevent a car being started if the driver's blood alcohol level isover the authorized limit. No country requires the use of this system. Interlock breathalyzershave been used in the US and Canada for over twenty years. Sweden began tests in 1999,

and several thousand vehicles now use the system. All trucks, coaches and school busesare to be equipped soon. In France, on-board breathalyzers were tested for six months inthe Alps on drivers who were not alcoholics, but who had been caught drink driving. Therewas a significant positive impact on the number of drunk drivers, with the number ofpersistent offenders on the program falling by between 50 and 70%. The Belgian andFrench governments are preparing legislation on the compulsory installation of onboardbreathalyzers for persistent drunk drivers.

To date, the system is largely restricted to professional vehicles, and a voluntary approachis being adopted for its use by the wider public. It will allow parents, for example, to makesure that their children cannot drink drive. Insurers, too, could offer reduced rates for carsequipped with the interlock.


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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

5.1.1. Advanced lighting

Night vision has always been a concern for the automotive industry, and new technologiesare going to improve it. Xenon lamps offer better-quality light. A study conducted inGermany by TV Rheinland looked at the correlation between the probability of having anaccident at night (as opposed to during the day) and at the Xenon take-up rate for thevehicle type. The results were conclusive: the number of accidents on German roads could

be reduced by 60% at night if all cars were equipped with Xenon light. This kind of lightcould probably save as many lives as stability control system. LED ("Light Emitting Diode")lighting is also eagerly awaited. LEDs generate light by virtue of their electroluminescentqualities. They are already in use in rear lamps and daytime running lamps, and will soonbe mass produced for high and low beams,

Lighting will also be better adapted to all sorts of different situations. "Bending light" canturn the beam by up to 15 in bends, by following the angle of the wheels. This techniquemay soon guide the lamps before the vehicle has even arrived in the bend. Beams couldalso be made to adapt to speed bumps and changes in gradient by adapting the height ofthe beam, and to fog. Better even than automatic switching between high and low beams,management of the illuminated area would be more adaptive, in order to offer the greatestrange possible without dazzling other road users.

5.1.2. Longitudinal control

Cruise control allows the driver to maintain the preselected speed. ACC, or Adaptive CruiseControl, uses radar to detect obstacles in front of the vehicle in order to measure thedistance to the car in front. According to one study, ACC reduces speed fluctuations intraffic, which in turn cuts the risk of collisions and fuel consumption. European Commissionfindings indicate that better sensors than those currently used, that warn the driver of animminent collision half a second earlier, could reduce the number of rear-impact collisionsby 60%.

If a vehicle is detected driving more slowly in the same lane in front of the car, the speed isadapted in order to maintain a safe distance. This is generally set to two seconds (sincedistance varies according to speed) although many systems allow vehicles to be as little as

one second apart.

ACC is currently only available on top-end models because of the high cost of the radar(end-user cost of between 1,800 and 2,500). Manufacturing costs should be cut by newtechnologies, such as the elimination of moving parts, a reduction in the number of aerialsand the introduction of silicon chips. Cheaper radars of just 24 GHz instead of 77 GHz willalso be used, despite their limited range (around 120m instead of 160-200m). The radarcan also be replaced by a lidar, but this technology is based on vision, not millimetricwaves, and its obstacle detection field is therefore narrower.

If the ACC is not enabled, a system alerting the driver to an unsafe inter-vehicle distancemay remain operational, sending sound signals and visual messages if this distance isinsufficient.


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5.1.3. Lateral ccontrol

The lane departure warning system identifies the position of the car compared to the whitelines, by analyzing images filmed by a camera located behind the windshield. If thevehicle's projected path crosses the white line without the indicators being activated, thesystem alerts the driver, prompting a change of direction. This system will eventuallybecome a lane-holding assistance solution which will act directly on the steering. In order toprevent the vehicle straying into the adjacent lane, the steering will adjust itself precisely in

order to return to the middle of its lane. The system is particularly suitable for long,monotonous journeys on the highway, during which it is easy to lose concentration.

This solution is featured on the Lexus LS (LK, or Lane Keep system) and the HondaLegend and Accord (LKAS, Lane Keeping Assist System).Both automakers wanted toavoid "automatic driving", whereby the driver releases the steering wheel deliberately, ordrives while drowsy. The system disconnects if no torque is detected from the steeringwheel for between 6 and 15 seconds, just like the TGV (French high-speed train).The lane-keeping assistance system has technical limitations, being unable to cope with a lack ofroad markings, an insufficient turning radius, or the glare of sunlight on the ground, or withfog or snow.

The other lateral control in the development pipeline is lane change assistance. Changinglane requires the driver to perform a number of checks and actions almost simultaneouslyand 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 positionof the other vehicles. The driver also has to cope with a blind spot, an area of poor visibilitybetween their lateral field of vision and the area covered by the rearview mirror. A lot cango wrong in a short space of time, therefore, as found by an American study whichrevealed that 40% of highway accidents occur during this maneuver. Systems for blind spotdetection and alerts for vehicles travelling at a higher speed in the adjacent lane exist. If thedriver activates the indicator prior to changing lane, a warning light appears in the rearviewmirror on the appropriate side in the event of the presence of an adjacent vehicle. Detectionis either radar- or camera-based.

5.1.4. Improving road holding

Avoiding a crash is also dependent on the vehicle's roadholding capacity. Several newtechnologies are arriving on the market, currently aimed at sports-style cars. Torquevectoring, for example, actively transmits different torque to the right and left wheels,independently of the torque supplied by the engine, and it can work even when the car isdecelerating. Transferring effort between the wheels creates a yawing moment that helpsthe vehicle to turn, in order to follow the path indicated by the driver. Torque vectoring alsohelps to reduce intervention by the stability control system, and can work not only on afront-wheel drive, but also a rear-wheel drive or a four-wheel drive. The concept is currentlyavailable on the Honda Legend, the Acura RL, MDX and RDX, the BMW X6 and theMitsubishi Lancer Evolution and is coming soon to Audi.

New mechatronics have paved the way for the return of an old ideausing the rearsteering axle to improve stability at high speed. The rear wheels turn in the same directionas the front wheels, but never by more than 3, increasing the capacity of the vehicle tochange lane quickly by reducing the yawing moment and the phase difference between thetwo axles. The system can also be used when braking on an asymmetrical surface: bymaintaining the path of the vehicle, braking power can be increased, shortening brakingdistance. Rear steering is also used at low speed to reduce the turning radius, by turningthe wheels in the opposite direction to the front wheels. This technology is currentlyavailable on the Renault Laguna GT and soon on the new BMW 7 Series. In the US, it isexpected to appear very soon on SUVs and pick-ups.

Improving vehicles' roadholding capacity will require the central, combined management of

various systems, including the stability control, steering, suspension, engine andtransmission. If it is necessary to improve roadholding immediately, for example, often atthe expense of occupant comfort, the shock absorbers can be hardened and power


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reduced. It will soon be possible to switch to a more sensitive stability control program andmake steering more responsive.

5.1.5. Driving surveillance

Every year, around 1,800 drivers are caught driving against the traffic in Germany. Stressand overwork are the leading causes, followed by disorientation and poor visibility. Alcoholis a factor in a third of cases. A warning system preventing motorists taking lanes againstthe traffic is in development. Based on a navigation system that compares the directiontaken to that recorded in a digital map, the system may also be used to communicatebetween vehicles or with the infrastructure to warn other road users.

Also in the pipeline is ISA (Intelligent Speed Adaptation), which reduces the risk ofspeeding. ISA compares the speed of the vehicle to the legal limit on that particular stretchof road. Speed limit information is supplied either by data integrated into the navigationsystem or by reading road signs, using a camera that constantly monitors signs along theside of the road as well as those with overhead electronic displays on highways.

5.1.6. Driver surveillance

According to the NHTSA, motorists are four to six times more likely to be involved in anaccident if they are tired. Fatigue is a cause of 100,000 accidents in the US every year.There are two technologies that can measure fatigue and drowsiness: blinking analysis andassessment of the behavior of the vehicle. In both cases, the system uses different signalsto alert the driver: sound signals, steering wheel vibrations, braking pulses, etc. Thisfunction was designed to alert drivers when their concentration begins to decline, when onan even, straight road, for example, on which the driver is relaxed, and when the risk ofdistraction or drowsiness is greatest.

Drowsiness is hard to analyze, but the signs are familiar: stinging eyes, blinking morefrequently and more slowly, smaller pupils. Yawning and shivering are signs that the brainis working more slowly, even when the eyes are open, which extends reaction times. Toanalyze the blinking of the eyes, a CMOS camera films the eyes and sends the images for

processing. Infrared lighting allows the camera to work in darkness. The system calculatesthe frequency and duration with which the eyes close, and alerts the driver if their eyesremain closed for more than a second during a journey.

The system that analyzes the movements and the controls of the vehicle is closer to amarket launch. It is both cheaper and less sensitive to variations between people, since notwo people react to fatigue in exactly the same way. This system monitors the car'smovements by using the ESC network of sensors. Sometimes it also measures thedistance to the car in front, and it draws a conclusion about the driver's control of thevehicle. The solution can also be used to correct driving errors caused by inattention, whileusing a telephone, for example, or changing CD. Lexus has already equipped the LS with adetection system for inattention (but not fatigue), which analyzes the position of the driver'sface in comparison to the road, and issues a warning in the event that a bad position is not

rapidly rectified or if an obstacle is detected on the road.

5.1.7. ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems)

Automakers, automotive suppliers, highway management companies, and the relevantpublic bodies are working on new communication technologies and ITS (IntelligentTransport Systems), with the aim of instigating a "dialogue" between information andcommunication technologies and road infrastructures, vehicles and motorists. They canexchange 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, poor lane positioning,

dangerous zone ahead (black ice, fog, etc), automatic accident detection. Miscellaneous services: assistance, surveillance of vehicles transporting dangerous

materials, etc.

ITS offers several advantages, including:


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allowing a vehicle or driver to alert other drivers immediately to an incident on the roadbefore they arrive on the scene,

enabling the emergency services to circulate in heavy traffic by asking motorists to giveway, via messages on roadside displays and on their dashboards,

sending the information that black ice has been detected (by the ESC system) to trafficupstream and to the road infrastructures,

alerting the vehicle concerned and all others, as soon as a motorist is detected driving

against the traffic.

Many problems remain to be solved. Transponders will have to be placed along thehighways, for example, and a control center would be needed to manage information flows.This information would also need to be shared between the infrastructures and vehicles. In2006, the European Commission announced that it was reserving part of the radiospectrum all over Europe in order to enable this communication, hoping both to improvetraffic flow on the European road network, where 7,500 km of traffic jams are formed everyday, and to cut emissions and the risk of accidents.

Active speed control of the vehicle is also being developed, for example through the ISA(Intelligent Speed Adaptation) project. ISA compares the speed of the vehicle to the legallimit on that particular stretch of road. Speed limit information is supplied either by data

integrated into the navigation system or by reading road signs, using a camera thatconstantly monitors signs along the side of the road as well as those with overheadelectronic displays on highways. By comparing this data to the values stored in thenavigation system's memory, the system can take account of temporary adjustments to thespeed limit, in the case of a building site, for example. There are different levels of ISA. Itmay simply alerts drivers that they are over the speed limit. It may be more active, bygenerating a force on the accelerator pedal to encourage drivers to remain within the limit,although they can still put their foot down. They can also exceed the speed limit, but only ifthey disconnect the system. Tests in Sweden and Holland have given positive results.

The French LAVIAa limiting system that takes account of the legal speed limitwastested on around a hundred volunteers between November 2004 and January 2006 in thewestern 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 above50 kph in all modes, preventing speeding through lack of concentration and changingpeople's driving habits. Only 45% of users accepted the permanently active system,however, and 44% were reluctant. In some situations the system was not only lessacceptable but actually dangerous, such as joining the flow of traffic, overtaking and whenthe driver felt that they were impeding other motorists or coming under pressure from them.

Sources: European Commission Chira-Chavala and Yoo report The 100-Car Study, Virginia Tech www.chooseesc.eu

Honda, Lexus, Mercedes, Volvo

5.2. Passive safety

5.2.1. Longitudinal protection

Automakers and automotive suppliers have made huge efforts to improve the protection ofvehicle occupants in the event of a head-on collision, both in order to meet legalrequirements and also in response to media pressure after much publicized crash-testsconducted by different NCAP bodies (New Car Assessment Program). One new technologywill bring significant progress to this field: crash speed reduction. According to the NHTSA,29% of accidents recorded by the police are caused by rear impact, and in over 50% of

cases, the driver did not brake before the collision.


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Sensors scanning the road, often consisting of a radar linked to a camera, allow obstaclesto be detected in the path of the vehicle. These sensors are usually those of the cruisecontrol, that maintain a safe distance to the car in front. This system uses them to calculatethe risk of collision, and if an accident is considered to be inevitable, it will attempt to limitthe effects of the impact (passive safety) by reducing speed: the brakes are activatedautomatically at around 50% of maximum deceleration. According to Volvo, "reducingcollision speed from 60 to 50 kph reduces the force of the impact by around 30%. For the

vehicle occupants, that can make the difference between serious injury and an accidentwith no consequences."

The system is only available on a limited number of models, and sometimes is only onoption. They include: Mercedes S and CL, Lexus LS, Honda Legend, CR-V and Accord.The biggest obstacle facing this technology is currently the cost of millimetric wave radar.

Volvo has opted for a system that works at low speed. "With surveys indicating that 75% ofall reported collisions take place at speeds of under 30 kph, and that in 50% of thesecases, the driver has not braked at all before the collision, it's easy to see the potential CitySafety has," says John Wallace, Volvo Car UK's corporate sales and leasing manager.Under 30 kph, the City Safety camera detects the presence of vehicles that are either at astandstill or moving very slowly in the same direction, up to 10m ahead of the car. If the car

is approaching too fast and the driver fails to react, the system itself applies the brakes.

Protective equipment that is already widely used is now being improved: seatbelts can bemotorized in order to apply tension before, and not during, the impact. Motorization canalso increase tension gradually, limiting pressure to the collarbone, and adjusting it to theheight and weight of the person. A system is in the pipeline that will draw the buckle downonce the seatbelt has been fastened, in order to improve restraint of the pelvis and preventsubmarining (when the body slides under the belt and abdomen protection). Airbags, too,are being upgraded. On the Citron C4 and C5, the fixed central hub can accommodateairbags that are not necessarily spherical. They can be deployed first towards the head andthen towards the chest, which provides better protection of the driver. The Lexus IS has atwin airbag for the front passenger, with right and left compartments that inflatesimultaneously, in order to spread the force of the collision more safely across the body

and limiting the risk of injury. Sensitive parts of the face such as the nose and mouth pushforward into the central area, while the cheeks and shoulders are more firmly held back bythe two cushions. Some new convertibles now offer the same lateral protection for the headas cars with roofs, using a curtain airbag installed in the door pillar instead of the side railsof the roof. This airbag is stiffer than usual in order to maintain a vertical position andprotect the head of the occupant even if the window is down. If the car tips over, the airbagdeflates slowly to maintain protection. This feature is currently available only on the VolvoC70 and Porsche 911 convertibles.

5.2.2. Lateral protection

Because there is so little space to absorb the energy between the point of contact and the

vehicle occupant, protection from lateral impacts is one of the hardest tasks in passivesafety. Possible developments include pillars of high-yield steel or carbon fiber, and moreeffective side airbags. Some models already have four airbag sensors instead of two (onein each front door and one in each central pillar), which can increase impact detection timeby up to 50%, deploying the airbag in just four milliseconds. Next in the pipeline is the useof lateral sensors which will establish the certainty of the impact before it has even takenplace, and this early detection allows active lateral reinforcement systems and moreeffective airbags.

5.2.3. Pedestrian protection

Detecting pedestrians in the path of the vehicle will help to improve their protection. If it istoo late to avoid the collision, the system can reduce the speed of the impact, or deployactive systems in the vehicle, such as front-end absorbers, lifting the hood, or even external

airbags.

Pedestrian detection, however, requires particularly sophisticated technology, of which themost appropriate analyzes images taken by a camera. The algorithm can then confirm that


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the obstacle is indeed a pedestrianand not a tree, pillar or road sign, in which case itwould not trigger the active systems like raising the hoodand that its position anddirection place it on the vehicle's trajectory. Currently only BMW offer this detection systemon the new 7 Series, but it is only informative : It warns the driver of the danger by coloringthe pedestrian in yellow on a screen, and displaying an indicator on the dashboard and thehead-up display.

Front ends are also being improved to limit the consequences of pedestrian collision. Newdevelopments on the market offer front ends that are more vertical, in order to spread theenergy of the impact across the length of the leg and not a single point such as the knees.Materials are being used that increase the absorption of energy from the impact, and thepedestrian detection system will enable the front end to apply active safety measures: inthe event of an imminent collision, the front crosspieces can be rearranged and additionalprotective panels can be deployed. The engine hood is also the subject of attention. It mustbe able to protect the head, either by allowing it to move downwards or by raising itselfslightly, if there is insufficient space in the engine compartment. This system is alreadyavailable on some vehicles, including the Citron C6 and the Jaguar XK. Some work isbeing done on airbag deployment, largely in order to improve protection of the head fromthe hard area at the base of the windscreen and the wiper compartment.

According to the European Commission, combining pedestrian detection with even lessdangerous front ends could raise pedestrian protection by 80% from current levels.

Sources: NHTSA Studies BMW, Mercedes, Volvo


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6. Valeo solutions

6.1. Driving Assistance for low speeds

Valeo is the world leader in ultrasonic parking assistance systems, which alert the driver

to the presence of obstacles during a parking maneuver with a sound signal. Obstacles aredetected by several ultrasound sensors spread out over the width of the vehicle. Thefrequency of the signal indicates the remaining distance, intensifying gradually andbecoming continuous at around 30cm. This solution offers a genuine feeling of safety andincreased confidence during reversing and parking maneuvers.

Parallel parking is difficult and stressful, and can lead to accidents. The Park4U systemautomatically carries out the maneuver in just a few seconds, controlling the vehiclessteering while the driver retains control over the speed. When sufficient space is detected,that is say, the vehicle length plus 80cm, in the latest versions of the solution, the driverputs the car into reverse and uses the accelerator and brake pedal to control the speed.Park4U turns the steering wheel to guide the vehicle into the parking spot. During themaneuver, the parking sensors alert the driver to the presence of any obstacles in the path

of the vehicle. This operation can be interrupted if necessary. If the vehicle is not correctlyaligned, a sophisticated calculation of the necessary adjustment allows it to be guidedbackward and forward until it is in the proper position. Valeo is already working on a newversion of Park4U, which will guide the vehicle out of its parking space after identifyingthe position of obstacles when the vehicle is started.

Valeo also has other innovative driving assistance solutions that help reduce the risk ofaccidents. A wide-angle video camera, for example, gives an excellent view of thevehicle's environment when reversing, allowing the driver to see any hazards on adashboard display, such as a child that cannot be seen out of the rear window. This imagecan also be supplemented with a display of the distance between the vehicle and thehazard, information that can be displayed in different ways, superimposed on the image inthe area in which the hazard is detected. If the car approaches a pillar, for example, whilereversing, the obstacle will be indicated on the screen by a succession of colored bars, thenumber of which corresponds to the distance of the pillar. The system combines videocameras and ultrasound sensors.

Accidents can often be caused by a lack of visibility when leaving a diagonal parking spot ifthe vehicle is reversing out. Valeo has a system for detecting other vehicles, using radarsplaced either side of the car. These are the same radars that monitor the driver's blind spot.The driver is told whether the exit is safe or whether another vehicle is approaching, beforereversing out.

Full visibility of the car's surroundings increases safety, and Valeo has produced theTopVue system that displays, on a single screen, a vertical image with a depth of severalmeters of the vehicle's periphery. This information increases the safety of the vehicle'smovements at low speed, in areas with many hazards that are not always easy to see,such as pedestrians crossing the road, animals, and kerbsides, during parking maneuvers.TopVue has five camerasone at the rear, one on either side, in the rearview mirrors, andtwo at the front. The forward cameras, one on each side, ensure visibility in difficultconditions, such as when the sun is low in the sky.

6.2. Driving Assistance for medium and high speeds

LaneVue, Valeo's unintentional lane departure warning system, warns the driver if thevehicle strays into another lane without activation of the indicator, so that the vehicle'strajectory can be quickly corrected. The system uses a camera placed behind thewindshield, which tracks the road up to 10 meters ahead of the vehicle, allowing it to follow

the white lane markings. These images are processed by an application which recreates adigital image of the road markings and determines the position of the vehicle in its lane.The vehicle's trajectory in relation to the lines is determined by data from the stabilitycontrol system, provided by sensors for the steering angle, g-force, and lateral acceleration.


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If the calculations conclude that there is a risk of crossing the line, the driver is immediatelyalerted. This active safety system is particularly useful in that it sends an alert before thelane change takes place, giving the driver sufficient reaction time.

The camera can detect both white and yellow lines, broken or unbroken. Its ability tooperate at night or in fog provides it with an additional active safety advantage. Severaltypes of driver alert are possible, according to the preferences of the automakers: buzzer,

sound signal or warning light. LaneVue was developed in collaboration with Valeo'stechnological partner Iteris. LaneVue, Valeo's unintentional lane departure warningsystem, which was a world first in 2005, now appears on two models: Infiniti FX and M45. Ithas already received three prestigious awardsthe 2005 Premier Automobile Suppliers'Contributions to Excellence (PACE) Award in the Product Innovations category, the 2004Automechanika Innovation Award in the Systems and Modules category, and the 2005Nissan Global Innovation Award.

If the driver really wants to change lane, the decision must be taken rapidly, because thevehicle is moving among several other objects, all moving at different speeds. The driveralso has to take account of the blind spot, an area of poor visibility between the lateral fieldof vision and the area covered by the rearview mirror. Valeo's blind spot detectionsystem alerts drivers to the presence of a vehicle in this area. Two 24 GHz millimetric-

wave radars on either side of the rear of the car detect any obstacles. When one sensesthe presence of another vehiclecar, lorry, or motorcyclethe system alerts the driver witha light appropriately situated in the wing mirror. This safety information is immediate andintuitive. The radar is not sensitive to most meteorological conditions, such as heavy rainand blizzards.

Valeo's blind spot detection is available on several General Motors brands, includingCadillac, Buick, Chevrolet and GMC, and is also fitted on the new Jaguar XF. By 2010, itwill equip 27 models. The usefulness of this new Valeo system was recognized by a PACEAward in 2007.

Valeo is working on several other developments that will help drivers, including a system torecognize speed-limit road signs, informing the driver of the maximum authorized limit. The

driver will be constantly reminded of the local speed limit currently in force, even if atemporary road sign has been put up during roadworks, for example. The system can alsoread other road signs, such as dangerous bend warnings, signs forbidding overtaking orstopping, and focuses the driver's attention on these signs.

6.3. Improving visibility

Valeo is not just a global supplier of lighting systems: since 2004, the Group has beencarrying out market research helping automakers to select the technology that best meetsthe needs of their particular clientele. Valeo supplies dynamic bending light systems, and"highway beams" that offer 60 meters more visibility. Its Xenon headlamps offer roadvisibility of 110 meters in low beam, instead of 80 meters for halogen lamps, i.e. a 30%

range increase. At 110 km/h, this extra visibility gives the driver an extra second to react toan obstacle in the road, and if the Xenon headlamps also have a DBL function, the visibilityincrease rises to 44%.

Valeo has a wide range of LED lighting systems for all functions. Its Full LED moduleprovides all lighting functions such as turn indicators, parking and daytime running lights,and high beam, low beam, and motorway mode lighting. The headlamp low beam and highbeam assembly comprises a line of LED units and a cooling device that offer a lifespanequal to that of the vehicle. The headlamp low beam is produced by reflecting part of thebeam towards the upper elliptical reflectors. By using a reflector rather than a shield (as ina projector system) that would absorb the light, less of the light produced by the LEDs islost. The high beam distribution is generated by a lens, offering a compact solution with anindividual style. A tourist function can easily be added by activating the lower, flat-cut-off

modules only. This enables a left-hand-drive vehicle to adapt its lighting accordingly whendriving in countries where traffic drives on the left, and vice versa.


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Valeo has even more innovative functions: BeamAticis a response to the reluctance ofdrivers to activate the high beam as soon as possible. BeamAtic automatically switchesbetween high and low beam according to whether other vehicles are present, either in frontof the car or oncoming. According to a study carried out by Valeo in real conditions, usingBeamAticincreases the use of high beam lamps by five, and BeamAtic Plus offers evenhigher rates. In fact, the system does not use "high" and "low" beams as such, but acontinuous beam that varies progressively between these two positions, providing

maximum light for the driver without dazzling other motorists. Adaptive high-beams do notalter only the distance of the beam but also its shape. In the case of a right-hand drive, forexample, if the vehicle passes an oncoming car, the area illuminating the left-hand lane willbe reduced more quickly than the right-hand lane. Compared to an immediate shift to lowbeam, BeamAtic Plus offers the driver a greater range in the intermediary phase, withoutthe risk of dazzle, while drastically cutting down on the blackout effect.

And BeamAtic Premium maintains the high beam at all times, darkening only the fieldoccupied by oncoming traffic or the vehicles in front of the car. The size and position of thedarkened area can be changed by a dynamic "light blinder". These adaptive functions areonly made possible by using a camera to monitor the road and track the different lightflows. This camera is placed behind the windshield at the level of the rearview mirror.Image-processing software determines whether a given source of light is generated by a

moving vehicle or a stationary lamp, such as street lighting or an information panel. Theposition of other vehicles is precisely determined to avoid dazzling their drivers. Cameraassistance can also take account of a gradient in order to raise the beam when entering arise or lowering it before a dip in the road.

Rain also has a strong impact on visibility. The development of windshield wipers facesmany challenges: a high relative speed between the air and the vehicles, increasinglycurved and higher windshields, temperature variations, ice and aggressive chemicalproducts. Valeo's Flat Blade wiper, with its original technology, can adapt to any shape ofwindshield in three dimensions, while applying sufficient pressure across its entire length.

The Flat Blade comprises a continuous built-in spline inside the wiper blade, which spreadsthe contact pressure along the entire length, something that used to be achieved with

multiple articulated levers in previous generations of blades. The rubber wiping lip and thespoiler are not made of the same rubber: the spoiler is stiffer, offering wiping performanceup to 220 km/h. This is the combined speed of the vehicle and the speed of the wind; it istherefore crucial to push this figure up still further. The single spline makes the wiper morecompact, reducing the build-up of snow and increasing performance in extreme conditions.

6.4. Greater pedestrian protection

In the event of an accident involving a pedestrian, the car could benefit from beingequipped with the Safe4U system, the result of intensive research conducted by theengineers of Valeo's Driving Assistance Domain. The Optibumber architecture optimizesthe passive protection of passengers and pedestrians and uses two crosspieces to absorb

the energy from any pedestrian collision. The upper crosspiece is in malleable steel,supporting absorbers in compressible plastic. It is attached to two innovative, Valeo-designed "crash boxes" which are not in steel, but in plastic. Optibumper reduces the risk ofinjury to pedestrians' legs and knees, and allows automakers to meet the new Europeanstandard 2003/102/EC, Pedestrian Impact Phase 2, which comes into force in 2012, andthe US IIHS standards and the Allianz test. The efficiency of the concept enabledOptibumper to score maximum points in the "pedestrian impact" part of the EuroNCAP test.

Valeo already proposes a system offering increased protection for the upper legs of adultsand the heads of children, leading to a safety level that largely exceeds the requirements ofregulations that will come into force in 2012. This concept includes a pedestrian detectionsystem and an active system that increases the absorption of energy, reducing impact andany injury to the pedestrian. Pedestrians are detected by a radar on the upper crosspiece

and two cameras along the radiator grille. Once it has established the risk of collision, twoactuators release the upper crosspiece from its supports in under 100 milliseconds. Thisallows the upper part of the front end to swing back, limiting the maximum effort andspreading it over a longer distance. while optimizing the deformation of the crosspiece. The


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system is reversible: if the impact does not take place, the actuators move back into placeand reconstitute the front end. Valeo is responsible for the entire development of theproduct, from digital design to validation and delivery of the complete system, within thecustomer's deadline.


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7. Conclusion

Increasing road safety is unavoidable. Because it is so closely tied to human behavior, theissue needs to be addressed on several different fronts. As a priority, training for drivers

must be implemented or pursued, especially in under-developed countries. Informationcampaigns have also shown short-term effectiveness. Young people must be given a betterbackground in road safety principles: they must be made more aware of the dangers thatroad travel can pose both to themselves and to others. It has also been shown that resultscan be achieved with a raft of operational penalties that are continuous and appropriate.

People and governments have a huge expectation that technology can solve all theseproblems, and it is true that technical progress has managed to offset a certain number ofdeficiencies. No driver is really perfect, and certainly no driver is constantly, permanentlyperfect. Lapses of concentration and errors of judgment are typically human failings, as isthe inability to systematically apply even the most basic safety rules. Fatigue and thegradual loss of driving ability, due especially to age, are also obvious human weaknesses.In addition to these, safety is also jeopardized by poor visibility, especially at night or in fog,

heavy rain, blizzards, and even driving in built-up areas. In all these situations, technologycan provide precious and effective support which must not be restricted to to

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