Driver assistance systems aim to halve traffic accidents

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to reveal how technology is being applied to augment drivers' skills and improve road safety throughout Europe. Design/methodology/approach - The paper begins with a description of the European Commission's car safety initiatives, and why they are necessary. Then three driver-assistance systems are examined in detail: adaptive cruise control, lane departure and lane-changing systems, and driver vigilance monitoring. Findings - Radar, lidar, and imaging sensors are being used and sometimes fused to build highly intelligent driver assistance equipment. The response of the system is crucial to its acceptance and success: false alarms or over-violent actuation would lead to rejection. Neither must the system encourage over-confidence. It is estimated that drowsiness detection could prevent 30 per cent of fatal motorway crashes. Originality/value - The paper alerts engineers and drivers to a long-term Europe-wide project to develop and deploy driver assistance technologies.