Date:23/04/12
All buses and lorries in the UK should be fitted with collision-avoidance technology by 2015, a report has recommended. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) said more could be done to protect those in drivers' blind-spots.
The report suggested the adoption of available technology, such as specialised sensors warning drivers of nearby cyclists.
The report also called for mandatory automated emergency response systems.
The IMechE said services like eCall - which can inform emergency services of an accident even if a driver is unconscious - had the potential to cut road fatalities by as much as 10%.
Seriously injured
"The alarming rise in cyclist deaths on British roads needs to be addressed urgently," said Philippa Oldham, head of transport at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
"Cyclist deaths have risen by 7% in the past year, with about eight cyclists being killed or seriously injured daily on British roads.
"A number of these deaths could be prevented if technology to prevent driver 'blind spots' were made mandatory for all large vehicles."
The report, published on Thursday, recommended the adoption of technology called Lateral Safe, a collision avoidance system being developed by the European Council for Automotive Research and Development.
The system uses sensors placed around large vehicles to warn drivers of potential obstacles, including cyclists and pedestrians. Many accidents are caused when an obstacle appears in a driver's blind-spot - an area not visible in the vehicle's mirrors.
Other suggestions included the adoption of autonomous driving technology, such as those found in Google's Driverless car, which uses data gathered using Google Street View as well as sensors and cameras on the car. Ms Oldham added: "By putting the UK at the forefront of intelligent transport technology we can also build an industry that is set to redefine the car in the next few decades, tapping into a market that will be worth about £40bn by 2020."
Blind-spot safety technology should be mandatory, report says
All buses and lorries in the UK should be fitted with collision-avoidance technology by 2015, a report has recommended. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) said more could be done to protect those in drivers' blind-spots.The report suggested the adoption of available technology, such as specialised sensors warning drivers of nearby cyclists.
The report also called for mandatory automated emergency response systems.
The IMechE said services like eCall - which can inform emergency services of an accident even if a driver is unconscious - had the potential to cut road fatalities by as much as 10%.
Seriously injured
"The alarming rise in cyclist deaths on British roads needs to be addressed urgently," said Philippa Oldham, head of transport at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
"Cyclist deaths have risen by 7% in the past year, with about eight cyclists being killed or seriously injured daily on British roads.
"A number of these deaths could be prevented if technology to prevent driver 'blind spots' were made mandatory for all large vehicles."
The report, published on Thursday, recommended the adoption of technology called Lateral Safe, a collision avoidance system being developed by the European Council for Automotive Research and Development.
The system uses sensors placed around large vehicles to warn drivers of potential obstacles, including cyclists and pedestrians. Many accidents are caused when an obstacle appears in a driver's blind-spot - an area not visible in the vehicle's mirrors.
Other suggestions included the adoption of autonomous driving technology, such as those found in Google's Driverless car, which uses data gathered using Google Street View as well as sensors and cameras on the car. Ms Oldham added: "By putting the UK at the forefront of intelligent transport technology we can also build an industry that is set to redefine the car in the next few decades, tapping into a market that will be worth about £40bn by 2020."
Views: 1141
©ictnews.az. All rights reserved.
Similar news
- Mobile operators of national market to reduce roaming tariffs
- Iran vows to unplug Internet
- China Targeting Telecoms in Corruption Probe
- Bangladesh to use electronic voting system for next elections
- Philippine IT sector to launch five-year digital strategy plan
- Russian Premier Vladimir Putin meets ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré
- US lawmakers propose to regulate use of geolocation data
- Unlimited mobile data plans dying as telcos gear up for cloud future
- Europe at risk of falling behind US and Asia on 4G use
- Netherlands first to regulate on net neutrality
- Korean Co Takes Aim At Display Patents
- Regulators, Banks Look for IT Hires After Breakdowns
- Electron transactions spreading
- Schools in remote rural areas will connect to the single database via network without SIM
- Obama to Personally Tweet From Twitter Account
