grip, we don’t tend to think about the vast number of transport safety features protecting us.
The development and enforcement of automotive safety features is often taken for granted.
It is mind-blowing to think that not so long ago, seatbelts or airbags weren’t mandatory and even after their introduction, they were only optional or available for front-seat passengers only.
The development and implementation of automotive safety features throughout the 20th century and until today have, without question, helped to save countless lives.
And as we close the first two decades of the 21st century, we are witnessing both the rapid development and wide adoption of increased vehicle safety features around the globe.
As we move towards more sophisticated, high-tech essential safety features, so does the world of safety regulation and legislation.
Jurisdictions around the planet are increasingly bringing in new automotive safety regulations and practices as new technologies become available.
One such recent case is a new mandate from the Japanese government: a recommendation for the inclusion of advanced safety vehicle (ASV) standards for chartered buses operating throughout the country.
This, unfortunately, did not happen in a vacuum – as with other regulations, a need was identified only after tragic accidents.
The most well-known of those occurred in Japan in 2016, when an overnight tourist bus was involved in a devastating crash in Karuizawa, leading to many deaths and injuries.
It was just one of a series of fatal accidents that continue to plague the transportation industry in Japan.
A couple of years ago the Japanese government proceeded to issue its endorsement for the inclusion of ASV standards for chartered buses.
They include three specific safety features:
- AEB – automatic emergency braking
- LDWS – lane departure warning system (only one retrofit-system has been approved to date)
- ESS – emergency stopping system (where passengers can execute emergency braking similar to a train).
The Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport told the industry that all chartered bus operators – approximately 60,000 vehicles – had to implement the ASV features by October 1, 2017 otherwise measures would be taken to ensure implementation.
This step is in line with other governments and safety organisations around the world which are starting to mandate increased vehicle safety.
The need for collision avoidance system (CAS) features, such as lane departure warning and forward collision warning, is the next wave of safety technology slowly being regulated and widely accepted throughout the world.
Many large car and heavy vehicle manufacturers, including Ford, BMW, Nissan, Audi and others, already offer comprehensive built-in solutions straight from the production line.
But what does this mean for New Zealand which has an older fleet where 30-year-old buses and trucks are still operating?
As we speak (figuratively), retro-fitted units that can provide life-saving alerts are being developed.
They can be integrated with the more modern CANBUS systems and the older analogue technologies.
We’ve come a long way in automotive technology – three-point safety belts, automatic accident fuel cut-off switch and antilock braking all made a huge impact on road safety.
It is thanks to these advancements that road safety is constantly improving and we are finding more and more ways to reduce road fatalities, injuries and accidents.
