Active safety encompasses all elements designed to prevent accidents. New technologies rely on on-board sensors (cameras, radars, lidars and probes) that enable the implementation of numerous advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), such as automatic headlight and windscreen wiper control, ABS (anti-lock braking system), ESC (electronic stability control), cruise control/speed limiter, intelligent cruise control (speed adapted to that of the vehicle in front), lane departure warning system, emergency brake assist (EBA), reversing radar and blind spot monitoring. In the future, fatigue or discomfort detectors could alert the driver.
Passive safety encompasses all devices designed to protect people in the event of an accident. The ability of vehicles to protect their passengers has improved, with restraint systems inside the vehicle (seat belts with pretensioners and force limiters, front airbags, side airbags for the chest and head, etc.) and a vehicle structure that disperses the energy released during an impact while protecting the passenger compartment. With vehicles being very different, a certain degree of compatibility between them must be ensured so that some are not too aggressive towards others (anti-underrun devices on heavy goods vehicles). Active bonnets that absorb shocks and external airbags are being developed to protect the most vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and users of two-wheeled motor vehicles).
The new Regulation 2019/2144, known as ‘General Safety Regulation 2’ (GSR2), adopted by the EU in March 2019, introduces new mandatory devices on new types of vehicles from 6 July 2022, and on all new vehicles from 7 July 2024. The aim is to better protect passengers, as well as pedestrians and cyclists.
Vehicles on the road in France and Europe must comply with various regulations, and type approval ensures that mandatory safety features are in place. To encourage car manufacturers to go further and incorporate innovative safety features, Euro NCAP, an independent organisation created in 1997, carries out crash tests. The 5-star rating system, intended for consumers, covers four areas: protection of adult occupants of the vehicle, protection of young passengers, protection of vulnerable road users (detection of pedestrians and cyclists, protection in the event of a collision), and safety assistance (measured performance of ADAS).
With human error involved in 92% of fatal accidents, new technologies offer significant potential for improving road safety. Although their benefits have not yet been fully assessed, several driver assistance systems could help reduce the number of accidents and therefore fatalities.
The testing of driverless or autonomous vehicles on public roads in France is now possible thanks to the order of 3 August 2016. These trials aim to enable autonomous vehicles to prove their reliability and safety.
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