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

  • Open road tolling: safer with less congestion
    January 30, 2012
    Michael J. Davis of PBS&J looks at the positive effect that open road tolling can have on safety
  • Cost-effective driver drowsiness detection
    May 2, 2012
    Bosch has revealed that its driver drowsiness detection system, first introduced as a standard feature in 2010, in the new Volkswagen Passat is being fitted to the new Passat Alltrack. Fatigue and microsleep at the wheel are often the cause of serious accidents. However, the initial signs of fatigue can be detected before a critical situation arises, and the Bosch system can do this by monitoring steering movements and advising drivers to take a break in time. The required information is provided either by
  • Study looks at air quality impacts of low carbon buses
    December 11, 2013
    A new report prepared by Ricardo for the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) to review the air quality impacts arising from the recent rapid increase in the number of low carbon buses in the UK recommends that the legislation needs to consider hybrid technology impacts in the test processes to avoid potential unintended consequences in terms of local emissions. As they mainly operate in urban areas, local emissions from buses are of particular significance. Reviewing worldwide test processes for
  • Reduce fatal crashes? Get police on the road
    July 8, 2019
    There are many elements to speed enforcement - but research suggests there is a strong correlation between getting police on the roads and reducing fatal collisions There are a variety of elements which go into successful speed enforcement. The European Union’s blueprint for this (see 10 Rules…) ranges from prioritising roads to offender education courses, and from legislation to data. But research suggests that one of the key factors is visibility – drivers need to see technology in action or police on