Driver assistance systems can improve driver behaviour

Date: 29/6/2012

A European Union project which has been investigating the effectiveness of driver assistance systems has found that they have a positive impact on driver behaviour.

Further to this the (Eurofot) European Field Operational Test consortium made up of 28 organisations also found that it is better for the environment and reduces costs.

The report which has just been published is the culmination of four years worth of studying driver assistance systems across Europe.

By looking at the existing technologies already available the study found that fuel efficiency, traffic safety and the overall cost were all areas where the systems presented a positive improvement.

It has emerged that 90 per cent of road accidents in the European Union are put down to driver behaviour, meaning it is an area with the potential to improve.

Driver assistance systems were fitted into a thousand cars and trucks for the study with behaviours monitored by them over the course of a year.

These behaviours included turning, acceleration and lane change, which all have the potential to lead to accidents if executed incorrectly.

The eight specific functions which were monitored in the field test were Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Warning, Speed Regulation System, Blind Spot Information System, Lane Departure Warning, Curve Speed Warning, safe human/machine interface and Fuel Efficiency Advisor.

Assistance in these areas greatly improves the chances of a driver perceiving a hazard, which in the long run leads to the prevention of accidents.

The study has been so comprehensive that in excess of a hundred terabytes of data has been gathered and analysed in order to produce useful results.

In conclusion, rolling out driver assistance systems across the European Union could significantly reduce the number of accidents that occur.

Further to this, the impact on the environment would also be cut and money and resources saved.

When purchasing a new vehicle drivers are advised to see if a driver assistance system is fitted, especially those who travel long distances for work.

Posted by Sarah Bailey

Transport Research News and Vehicle Safety News