25/05/2011
Chris Gibbings
Dozens of lives are predicted to be saved along with thousands of pedestrians being spared injuries as a result of new safety systems which are to be fitted to British cars.
It is expected that safety will be improved with the use of autonomous emergency braking systems which come after years of research carried out and commissioned by Thatcham, the Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre.
The systems include cutting edge initiatives and technologies including radar, camera and lasers, to automatically stop a car before it strikes a pedestrian. Test results show that once incorporated into all production models, more than 2,700 pedestrian casualties will be prevented in Britain each year.
Figures reveal 92% of pedestrian collisions happen at speeds of 30mph or under - within the performance limits of most new safety systems. Teams of researchers accompanied emergency services to record real life data at the scene of hundreds of accidents across the country.
Some of the AEB systems will also make a massive impact by preventing over 160,000 painful and debilitating whiplash injuries caused each year by the most common crash - the rear end shunt.
Six systems have been under test from vehicle manufacturers as diverse as BMW, Ford, Subaru, Toyota, Volvo and Mercedes. It is hoped that the Thatcham AEB protocols now being developed will be considered in any future Euro NCAP testing procedures.
