Quite soon, namely on July 7, 2024, new General Safety Regulations shall come into effect on the territory of the EU. They are mandatory and prescribe all new vehicles be equipped with certain electronic driver-aid systems (ADAS). We shall note that for all vehicles of a new type, these regulations came into action long before, since July 6, 2022. All these measures allow for saving more than 25,000 lives and avoiding over 140,000 issues of hard traumas due to car accidents by 2038. Yet, the final destination point of these regulations is the implementation of the EU Zero Vision initiative which is embodied in providing zero fatalities on the European roads by 2050.
Accident Statistics
According to the EC CARE data, up to 70% of fatalities among passenger car occupants, bicyclists, and pedestrians were caused by road accidents involving trucks with a gross weight of over 3.5 tons. Such crushes also lead to fatalities among 12% of truck drivers and occupants. Consistent implementation of certain electronic driver assistance systems already has brought positive effects. Thus, in 2011, truck-engaged road accidents led to 4,586 fatality issues in the EU, in 2021, this terrifying indicator shortened by 40% and showed only 2,722 fatalities. It means that 14% of all fatalities caused by road accidents in Europe were mitigated.
Here we have to mention 5 of the most widespread causes of truck-engaged car accidents.
Firstly, it is a rear-end collision, which often occurs in the tail of a car. The second reason is unintentional lane departure, which occurs due to the driver’s inattention. Side collisions at intersections are also common. If we talk about collisions with pedestrians and cyclists, most of them occur due to blind spots when turning. This list ends with accidents that occur as a result of mistakes when overtaking.
Electronic Helpers
What are the so-called electronic driver-assistant systems for trucks and buses which become obligatory since this summer? Typically, there are eight of them:
1)Alarm signaling during emergency braking or sudden deceleration
2)Tyre pressure control system.
3) Low-speed blind spot warning system for pedestrians and cyclists.
4) An information system that, when the car starts moving, detects the presence of vulnerable road users in the blind spot in front of the car, and in case of danger, alerts the driver.
5) Availability of warning devices (sensors or cameras) when reversing.
6) Driver Attention Alert System (the so-called Antisleep system).
7) An intelligent speed limitation system (identification of road signs and cartographic information).
8) Additionally, cars are required to be prepared for the installation of an immobilizer that blocks the engine from starting if the driver is drunk (the so-called “ignition interlock device”).
Here we should pay tribute to leading European manufacturers of trucks and buses which are fully prepared for the implementation of new regulations. A part of them for a couple of years already offered ADAS installed in their vehicles. Moreover, some of them even exceed the GSR requirements.
What Does Daimler Truck Offer
The Daimler Truck company holds the palm in this question. It offers a range of advanced ADAS options installed on its trucks and buses. Let’s start the six-gen emergency braking system which is called Active Brake Assist 6 (ABA6). It responds to both stationary and moving objects, including cyclists and pedestrians. In the case of a threat of collision, it can automatically apply braking from speeds up to 60 km/h until a complete stop. If we talk about stationary vehicles, the system can detect them at even higher speeds up to 80 km/h. ABA6 also scans adjacent lanes at a distance of up to 250 m.
One more innovative system, Active Sidesguard Assist 2 also is worth our attention. It allows for minimizing blind zones when turning and protects from hitting pedestrians or cyclists. In terms of its capabilities, this system has moved significantly ahead of the GSR requirements. If the General Safety Regulations require such systems simply to alert the driver when a threat of collision occurs, the Daimler Truck’s development first gives sound and light signals, and if the driver does not react, applies emergency braking. The system operates up to 30 km/h and can automatically brake at vehicle cornering speeds of up to 20 km/h. Space scanning occurs up to 7 m in front of the vehicle and 30 m behind (taking into account the length of the road train).
If we look at the Front Guard Assist system, we can see that it controls the area directly in front of the cabin from 0.8 m to 4 m across the entire width. It helps prevent collisions with pedestrians or cyclists when starting a car, as well as at intersections. In case of danger, the driver receives appropriate signals. The system operates at speeds up to 15 km/h.
Saying goodbye to mirrors
We should mention that almost 5 years ago a system of Mirror Cam cameras was offered for installation on Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks instead of commonly used exterior mirrors. Moreover, the system was offered as a standard option. It was the first case of implementation among serial heavy-duty trucks. Today, the system is available in its second generation. Shorter brackets which improved visibility appeared here. It must be said that Mirror Cam allows you to change the viewing angle, increasing the safety of maneuvering on a road train. It also improves visibility at night and can function as a surveillance camera when parked. Among the advantages of Mirror Cam, it is significant to note the optimization of cabin aerodynamics, which allows reducing fuel consumption by 1.5%. Note that, following Mercedes-Benz cars, similar camera systems instead of the usual mirrors began to appear on trucks from other manufacturers including DAF, IVECO, Scania, and Volvo.
The company’s Developments
If talking about the DAF company, since January 2024, it started to equip its autos with a full “gentleman’s set” of driver-assistant systems including the model lines of XB, XD, XF, XG and XG+. An emergency braking next-gen AEBS system which includes cameras and radars is included in this standard set. Also, the Drive-off Assist system, which scans the blind spots in front of the car when starting joined the set while another system, DAF Side & Turn Assist, which helps to detect vulnerable road users in time when the truck turns also was implemented.
The vehicles also obtained the Event Data Recorder system of automated photo capturing during emergency braking. The driver’s attentiveness is monitored by the DAF Drowsiness Detection system, which prevents you from falling asleep while driving. Plus, the trucks are equipped with a system for recognizing road signs with speed limits called Speed Limited Recognition, as well as with a system that warns of unintentional departure from the lane (Lane Change Assist). Additionally, all the cars now have an improved rearview camera, and optionally, the High Beam Assist smart high beam system.
What Are the Perspectives?
In the future, there will be updates for the General Safety Regulations. So, since 2026, new vehicles should be equipped with a smart alert system for the cases of a driver’s lost concentration. Since 2029, storage devices for information about the operation of certain systems (“black box”) will become mandatory. It is also planned to introduce new requirements for visibility from the driver’s workplace. The regulatory framework for cars with automated control will also be improved, with an increase in the level of their autonomy.Thus, the manufacturers of commercial vehicles are actively working on improvements not only for the environmental parameters of their cars, in particular, by reducing fuel consumption and switching to electric propulsion. Much attention is now being paid to improving safety, which will make it possible to achieve zero road fatalities shortly.