Skip to main content

Can ADAS impact middle-income countries?

Recent research by SBD shows that road-related fatalities are the eighth leading cause of death globally with more than a million people dying each year. Middle income countries, which include most ASEAN economies, account for 72 per cent of the world’s population and contribute to about 80 per cent of road traffic fatalities.
September 20, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
Recent research by 4263 SBD shows that road-related fatalities are the eighth leading cause of death globally with more than a million people dying each year.

Middle income countries, which include most ASEAN economies, account for 72 per cent of the world’s population and contribute to about 80 per cent of road traffic fatalities.

The research indicates that in India, Malaysia and Thailand there is lack of strict enforcement on helmet and seat belt wearing compliance laws. Even in Malaysia which is considered as a more advanced ASEAN economy still only 76 per cent of riders wear helmets and 77 per cent of drivers wear seatbelts. The statistics are much poorer in India and Thailand.

Common driver behaviours such as speeding and minimal driver discipline increase the risk of accidents in these countries. Malaysia shows an increasing trend in road accidents, whereas in India the total number of road accidents has remained stable over the last two years. Thailand shows a decreasing trend in the overall road accidents, however the number of fatalities increased by 39% from 2010 to 2011.

In Thailand and Malaysia the majority of accidents occur on local roads. In contrast, India sees higher rates of collisions on its national highways, where rear-ending is reported in over a third of all accidents. Roll-over is a common accident type in Thailand, and all countries show riders of 2 and 3 wheeler vehicles are most at risk.

SBD’s recent study indicates that there is some scope for active safety countermeasure to be introduced. Such systems have the potential for reducing the consequences of a crash and in some occasion can also prevent the accident. Each country studied in this report details in-depth road safety conditions, accident trends with statistics on those most at risk, the various types of collision, and the accident contributing factors.

European OEMs such as 2125 Audi, 1731 BMW, 1685 Mercedes-Benz and 609 Volvo have started to roll-out advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) on their most premium models in some emerging markets. Volvo is one OEM offering a similar level of ADAS comparable to its market offering in Europe. SBD’s research suggests that without customisation, such ADAS systems may not be suitable to address the local road conditions and driver behaviour in these countries.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Car traffic in London is down but congestion is up, says new study
    May 18, 2016
    London Congestion Trends, an in-depth study of the causes of traffic congestion in London between 2012 and 2015 published by Inrix, indicates that congestion in London is increasing, with journey times in Central London growing by 12 per cent annually. Inrix says this is consistent with data that shows that the London economy and population are growing, which normally results in an increase in gridlock. Further, unemployment and fuel prices are down, both of which usually mean a rise in traffic. Despite thi
  • Traffic management market ‘worth US$16.89 billion by 2019’
    July 14, 2014
    A recent study by MarketdsandMarkets, Traffic Management Market by Solutions, Displays & Systems (Full Pedestrian, Parking Space and Toll Management, Above Ground Pedestrian and Vehicle Detection) - Global Advancements, Projects, Worldwide Forecast & Analysis (2014 - 2019) analysed and studied the major market drivers, restraints, and opportunities in North America, Western Europe, CIS and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. The study reports that the traffic manageme
  • US traffic deaths up 7.7 per cent in 2015
    July 8, 2016
    Preliminary data released by the US Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show a 7.7 per cent increase in motor vehicle traffic deaths in 2015. An estimated 35,200 people died in 2015, up from the 32,675 reported fatalities in 2014. Although the data are preliminary and requires additional analysis, the early NHTSA estimate shows 9 out of 10 regions within the United States had increased traffic deaths in 2015. The most significant increases came for pedest
  • Decrease in Florida’s red-light running crashes
    January 6, 2015
    The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles' (DHSMV) recently-released third annual Red-Light Camera Summary Report analysed data from 68 police agencies in the cities and towns in Florida where red-light safety cameras are deployed. The report shows a decrease in red-light running violations and crashes at intersections with red-light safety cameras and is consistent with results from previous state reports affirming the effectiveness of this important law enforcement tool. Total violations