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Driver assistance systems can save lives on GCC roads. Sometimes it’s enough for the car to sound a warning signal and display a coffee cup on the dashboard to remind a driver to take a break after a long stretch on the road.
New research from Germany suggests that almost a quarter – 680,000 – of the 2.95 million new cars registered last year can do just that: warn a tired driver before he or she causes an accident.
Driver drowsiness detection is the driver assistance function most frequently installed in new cars, according to a Bosch evaluation of important new features.
“Fatigue at the steering wheel is highly dangerous for the high number of drivers in the GCC who travel long distances to and from work every day,” said Andreas Bodemer, Vice President for Bosch Automotive Aftermarket, Middle East and Africa.
“The Bosch driver drowsiness detection system will constantly analyse the driver’s steering behaviour to spot patterns typical of fatigue, as well as registering any abrupt, small steering motions. Nearly one in four new cars in Germany now has this technology, which we know will have a major impact here in the GCC too.”
Other new technology features which are increasingly installed include intelligent headlight control, found in 20 percent of all new cars, which automatically turns the low-beam headlight on or off as required, and automatic emergency braking, in 11 percent of all new cars, which helps to avoid or mitigate the consequences of rear-end collisions.
Bodemer added: “Driver assistance systems are an essential step on the way to ‘vision zero’, the goal of eradicating road fatalities. Bosch expects to sell over two million radar and video sensors in 2014, more than twice as many as last year, meaning that driver assistance systems are becoming more and more important.”
GCC drivers can also benefit from the support of lane assistants which warn the driver with a vibration in the steering wheel when they unintentionally leave the lane or even when the car gets too close to the edge of the lane by gently, but firmly, steering the vehicle back into the lane.
Road-sign recognition makes it easier for drivers to navigate the ‘road-sign jungle’ as video cameras read traffic signs and present relevant information as symbols in the dashboard, while the adaptive cruise control (ACC) works with a radar sensor and maintains a pre-set safety distance to the car ahead, even in heavy traffic. The Stop & Go feature automatically accelerates and brakes according to the flow of traffic and can even bring the car to a complete stop in a traffic jam.
As one of the automotive industry’s biggest suppliers, Bosch covers the entire product range of driver assistance systems. In developing the ABS and ESP systems, the company laid the foundation early on for traffic with fewer accidents. Powerful computers ensure that the assistance systems react rapidly and can think as well as a good driver can.
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