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7 July 2021 - by: Silvia Pedrotti
Road safety in Europe: ADAS mandatory on all vehicles from 2022
Although according to international statistics, European roads are among the safest in the world, resigning to having a number of victims other than 0 is simply unacceptable. The European Union has therefore developed an ambitious program to completely eliminate the number of road deaths by 2050.
European data (Annual Accident Report and Road Safety Vademecum) show the persistence of an excessive number of deaths on European roads: in 2019 there were 24,620 road deaths in the EU. Based on the latest agreements of the institutional bodies of the European Union, the General Safety Regulation has been updated. For the first time some of the most innovative "Advanced Driver Assistance Systems" will have to be compulsorily fitted on board the newly registered vehicles. This will be a substantial step forward towards the goal of “Vision Zero”, a road safety program born in Sweden in 1997, which aims to eliminate the number of road deaths by 2050.
For heavy vehicles, the equipment must also include:
A second aspect which is particularly dear to the Bolzano-based company, is that of road education together with compliance with the rules and training of drivers. Road safety education aims to promote knowledge and understanding of traffic rules and situations to improve skills through training and experience, and to strengthen or change attitudes through risk awareness, personal safety and the safety of other road users. Because of this, FERCAM periodically organizes specific training courses for its driver staff and promptly corrects habits where necessary.
What are ADAS?
The acronym ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) indicates a series of new highly-innovative driver assistance devices aimed at increasing vehicle safety. Since their function is to prevent road accidents, they are part of the so-called “passive” safety systems, like seat belts, airbags and self-deforming bodies. Among the "active" safety systems, aimed at reducing the consequences of the impact on passengers, we find ABS (anti-lock braking system), TCS (a system that regulates the power that reaches each wheel) and ESP (electronic system that maintains the stability of the vehicle).Which ADAS will be mandatory from 2022?
The ADAS or safety systems, which will be mandatory from 2022 for vehicles of categories M (transport of people), N (transport of goods) and O (trailers and semi-trailers) are:- Adaptive cruise control (ACC) that allows you to adjust the speed while driving, considering the traffic conditions and the safety distance to be maintained with other cars.
- Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) which can detect the distance with cars, pedestrians and cyclists and brake.
- Driver fatigue detector that monitors the driver's attention, intervening in case of need with acoustic warnings and specific requests.
- Facilitating the installation of the engine block with breathalyser (alcoholock).
- Advanced driver distraction warning systems.
- Lane Keeping System able to ensure that the car remains within the lines even in the presence of curves.
- Recording devices (black box) of the phases preceding an accident.
- Tire pressure monitoring.
- Intelligent Speed Assistance systems.
- Detection systems of vehicles coming in the opposite direction.
- Reversing camera.
For heavy vehicles, the equipment must also include:
- Lane change warning systems.
- Blind spot monitoring systems around the vehicle.
- Autonomous emergency braking systems.
- Pedestrian and cyclist detection devices in the immediate vicinity.
The answer to the International Call to Action
In line with international policies, FERCAM has always been attentive to the issue of safety and constantly invests in vehicles equipped with cutting-edge equipment, that make them not only performing, but also safe and useful for preserving the health of collaborators and pedestrians. The latest example of this action dates back to less than 6 months ago when new Mercedes Actros equipped with MirrorCam joined the FERCAM fleet. Thanks to this new system, the driver no longer has to look to the right or left to check the traffic behind his vehicle. In addition, the mirrors are mounted in a fixed position, so that the driver cannot lose sight of the end of the trailer when cornering, creating an advantage especially in intersections, maneuvers and tight corners. No less are the new IVECO Stralis in the fleet, powered by LNG and Bio-LNG, which boast a HI-CRUISE predictive driving system with GPS technology, which integrates driver assistance functions including ecoroll, predictive gear shifting and predictive cruise control.A second aspect which is particularly dear to the Bolzano-based company, is that of road education together with compliance with the rules and training of drivers. Road safety education aims to promote knowledge and understanding of traffic rules and situations to improve skills through training and experience, and to strengthen or change attitudes through risk awareness, personal safety and the safety of other road users. Because of this, FERCAM periodically organizes specific training courses for its driver staff and promptly corrects habits where necessary.
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