Report calls for mandatory fitting of automatic alert systems

Collision-avoidance technologies, which could help eliminate cyclist and pedestrian deaths caused by driver 'blind-spots', should be made mandatory for all UK buses and lorries by 2015, according to a new report from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. The 'Intelligent Transport Intelligent Society' report also calls for automated emergency response systems to be integrated into all new road vehicles within the next two years. These systems automatically alert emergency services in case of an accident – even if a driver is unconscious – as well as providing the exact location of the accident using Global Positioning Systems (GPS).

Philippa Oldham, Head of Transport at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said: “The alarming rise in cyclist deaths on British roads needs to be addressed urgently. Cyclist deaths have risen by 7 per cent 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. New intelligent transport technologies have the potential to save thousands of lives. Cyclists, pedestrians and other road users could all benefit but, just as with seatbelts thirty years ago, we need policymakers to work with the automotive industry to make them mandatory.

“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 £40 billion by 2020.”

Heavy Good Vehicles make up 5 per cent of the traffic on Britain’s roads yet cause 20 per cent of all fatal accidents involving cyclists. Making collision avoidance technologies mandatory for all large vehicles which prevent driver ‘blind-spots’ could make the roads safer for millions of cyclists across the UK. One example of a collision avoidance technology is LATERAL SAFE which is being developed by the European Council for Automotive Research & Development (EUCAR). This system uses sensors to warn drivers of obstacles and accident risks, such as cyclists, to the rear or side of the vehicle.

Electronic safety systems like the European project eCall, which automatically alert emergency services in the case of a serious car accident, have the potential to cut road fatalities by as much as 10 per cent.