Collision Avoidance Put On 2013 NTSB Most Wanted List

Taipei, Dec. 3 2012 (CENS)--The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has included collision avoidance technologies and elimination of distraction in its annual Most Wanted List, showing the agency's priorities for 2013, according to Telematic News.

The annual Most Wanted List is part of the NTSB's lobbying activities aimed at encouraging the US transport industry to improve safety. NTSB pointed out that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) should establish performance standards where still needed and mandate that these technologies be included as standard equipment in cars and commercial motor vehicles alike, Telematics News said.

These technologies are available today in many vehicles, but are options and some technologies are not even required to meet performance standards.

There are technologies that can work with the driver to improve driver reaction time. Lane departure warning system (LDWS), FCWS (forward collision warning system), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), automatic braking, and electronic stability control (ESC) etc. have all been proven to aid drivers during unexpected conditions, particularly when traveling at highway speeds or when operating larger commercial vehicles that require greater stopping distances, the company said. Other systems, such as tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), onboard monitoring (for commercial drivers), and speed-limiting technology, can warn drivers of imminent threats or diminish the possibility of encountering dangerous conditions, Telematics added.

The NHTSA indicated that run-off-road, rear-end, and lane-change maneuvers account for 23%, 28%, and 9% of highway accidents, respectively. Vehicle collision avoidance technologies can prevent these types of accidents. In fact, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) estimates that forward collision warning can prevent 879 fatal crashes annually for passenger vehicles and 115 fatal crashes annually for large trucks.

The IIHS also estimated that LDWS could prevent 247 fatal crashes annually, and eESC, 439 fatal crashes annually. With such promising potential to improve highway safety, Telematics said, this technology should be robustly deployed throughout the passenger and commercial fleets.