In-vehicle life saving systems and devices

Adrian Walsh, director of RoadSafe, looks at how big a factor safety is when it comes to choosing new vehicles

A recent survey from the European eSafetyAware campaign, which is supported by RoadSafe, reveals that fleets and private new car buyers in Britain are in the slow lane compared with some other European countries in accepting life-saving eSafety technologies. The findings come in a new study across ten European countries investigating car users’ acceptance of e-safety technologies carried out to coincide with this year’s eSafety Challenge.   

E-safety refers to vehicle technologies that can assist drivers in an emergency situation by providing vital information and warnings to help avoid crash situations occurring.

Although awareness levels of e-safety-related systems on a European level have increased by ten per cent since a similar study two years ago, safety chiefs are concerned that the technology is not more widely accepted.  

At last year’s eSafety Challenge event in the UK, fleet managers – who are responsible for buying the majority of new cars in Britain – were urged to lead demand for eSafety technologies such as electronic stability control (ESC), blind spot monitoring, lane support systems, speed alert, warning and emergency braking systems and adaptive headlights.   

The survey also reveals that when it comes to purchasing a new vehicle, safety is the number one purchasing criterion, followed closely by fuel consumption and running costs. The two latter indicate that car buyers are also relatively cost-conscious when it comes to buying a new car. It is worth noting the relatively lowly position of vehicle brand.

NOTEWORTHY SAFETY DEVICES
Devices such as ESC, which is to be compulsory in all new cars from 2012, have the potential to save 4,000 lives and 100,000 injuries annually alone in Europe, according to eSafety Aware, one of the organisations behind this year’s eSafety Challenge.

In Germany, research by insurer Allianz has revealed that as much as 330 million euros could be saved by preventing small rear impact accidents and that almost three out of four rear impact accidents with injuries and fatalities could be avoided with the 100 per cent introduction of advanced emergency braking systems.   

Meanwhile, in the UK, the Department for Transport has concluded that ESC-equipped vehicles are 25 per cent less likely to be involved in fatal crashes than those without. That equates to 380 fewer fatalities and 7,800 fewer people injured on UK roads.

WHO KNOWS?
The study shows that familiarity with these life-saving technologies is increasing but far too slowly; awareness levels are only ten per cent greater in 2011 than two years ago.

Europe’s car buyers are still not purchasing eSafety systems in sufficient numbers. Thousands more lives could be saved and injuries avoided if these systems were more widely used.   

Additionally, many businesses are still not taking safety management seriously and are allowing employees to drive company vehicles that are not fitted with these lifesaving eSafety systems.   

Corporate buying accounts for around two-thirds of new car sales in the UK annually and the vast majority of LCV sales. Therefore, if we can convince fleet managers and company finance directors to focus their decision-making on vehicles equipped with the range of e-safety technologies, it will infiltrate the used car market quicker as businesses change their vehicles.   

The study conducted across Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the UK, revealed that when purchasing a new vehicle, safety was the number one purchasing criteria followed closely by fuel consumption and running costs.   

Speed alert, ESC and advanced emergency braking systems were revealed as the best-known of the six eSafety technologies being promoted by the eSafety Challenge.   

The study also showed that Britain is last in a league table in terms of awareness of four of the six systems being promoted.
The survey also showed that:
•    Awareness levels of speed alert in Britain is just 45 per cent compared with 80 per cent in France
•    Awareness levels of ESC in Britain is just 41 per cent compared with 89 per cent in Germany
•    Awareness levels of adaptive headlights in Britain is just 41 per cent compared with 76 per cent in Germany
•    Awareness levels of lane support in Britain is just 27 per cent compared with 71 per cent in Germany.
•    Awareness in Britain of the other two eSafety technologies – advanced emergency braking and blind spot monitoring – is 51 per cent (Spain ranks the highest at 68 per cent) and 28 per cent (Germany and the Czech Republic rank equal first at 62 per cent) respectively.

Although half of survey respondents said they were willing to pay more for safety features, they expected manufacturers to fit them to vehicles. One quick look at what is available in the fleet market will show that safety features and specifically e-safety features such as ESC, which are proven to save lives and reduce casualties are readily available, so it is vital that fleets operate cars and vans equipped with such technology.

CORPORATE DRIVERS
Every day of the year more than 150 vehicles driven on company business crash. Every year there are 14,000 road deaths and serious injuries involving people at work. Business pays for this. With the new Road Safety Act on the statute book and the advent of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act in April 2008, the issue of Health and Safety in the workplace – the business vehicle – is something business employers are no longer able to ignore.
With about a quarter to a third of road deaths and injuries incurred during work time, employers have a wake-up call.
There is therefore an important role for all businesses where their employees drive for work. Not only do directors have a duty of care, but there are good business reasons for investing in driver safety management. The preparation and implementation by employers of policies to make driving safer not only reduces casualties, it can cut costs.    

There are a growing number of examples of good practice – from the largest companies down to small businesses which the Driving for Better Business campaign delivered by RoadSafe highlights.   

The Driving for Better Business case studies, available at www.drivingforbetterbusiness.com, come from some sixty ‘champion’ companies drawn from across all business sectors and each shows a basic business case for safety investment.  

EXPENSIVE BUSINESS
Work-related road accidents are much more expensive than many employers realise. The cost is much more than the garage bill for fixing the minor damage and much less might be covered by insurance than is often realised. Even with a low number of bumps and scrapes, it has been estimated that the full cost to the employer might be £8 to £36 for every pound paid on insurance claim. Some items cannot be covered by insurance, including loss of company reputation and contracts, fines and costs of prosecution, and staff down-time for medical appointments/attendance at court etc.   

Managing these risks goes much further than simply sending drivers on defensive driving courses – in fact many employers now believe that such courses alone do nothing to improve matters. Driving for Better Business champions a belief that a thorough management-led approach is what makes the difference.     

Key elements of their policies include such areas as: taking all practicable steps to ensure the safety of drivers, passengers and the public with regard to vehicles used on company business, emphasising the application of the best safety practices in driving and vehicle management, and extending policies to contractors and families.   

Real time management of business journeys, coaching by line-managers, and equipping cars with crash-avoidance e-safety technology all helps to reduce risk and enhance the bottom-line.   

Good investment in sound policy development, management training, monitoring what a driver is doing and investment in crash-avoidance e-safety technology therefore has significant spin-off benefits for organisations in terms of financial savings from fewer incidents and therefore reduced business disruption.

Road safety is important across the world – a decade of Action for Road Safety was launched May 2011 with the aim of saving millions of lives. So these survey results are a welcome sign that employers see safety as important and want to ensure that they provide safe cars for their people. But we still need to do all we can to further increase awareness and take-up of the importance of e-safety technology at director level, amongst fleet managers, company car and van drivers, as well as private new car buyers. The technology is available now and more will follow in the next few years – it will do much more than save life, it will help to avoid crashes too.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
www.drivingforbetterbusiness.com