Skip to main content

New film highlights life-saving potential of ISA technology for new cars

A new film from the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) makes the case for making intelligent speed assistance (ISA) which can be overridden a standard feature on all new vehicles in Europe. The five-minute video has been launched as the European Commission continues work on the development of the next generation of vehicle safety standards, expected to be launched later this year. A major study for the Commission published last year by consultants TRL found that ISA is one of several new vehicl
February 1, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
A new film from the 3535 European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) makes the case for making intelligent speed assistance (ISA) which can be overridden a standard feature on all new vehicles in Europe.
 
The five-minute video has been launched as the European Commission continues work on the development of the next generation of vehicle safety standards, expected to be launched later this year.

A major study for the Commission published last year by consultants TRL found that ISA is one of several new vehicle technologies that are now suitable for mandatory fitting on new cars as they are ‘feasible in terms of the technology required’, already available on the market and offer a positive benefit-cost ratio.

Several vehicles currently in showrooms already feature the technology including the Ford S-Max/Galaxy and Volvo XC90. The European consumer safety rating organisation 6437 Euro NCAP awards additional points to cars fitted with ISA.

Ellen Townsend, policy director of ETSC said: "Getting Intelligent Speed Assistance technology in all new cars will help Europe maintain at the cutting edge as the industry moves increasingly towards automated driving. This is an automated feature that is proven, effective and available now.

"Speed is one of the biggest killers on our roads. With the potential to cut deaths by 20%, ISA really is a no-brainer."

The film includes a demonstration of the system by Oliver Carsten of the University of Leeds in a production Ford Galaxy factory-fitted with ISA. It also features expert contributions from Aled Williams of Euro NCAP, Dr Áine Carroll, a leading expert in post-crash rehabilitation, Koen Ricour of the European Traffic Police Network TISPOL and Ms Townsend of ETSC.

Related Content

  • June 3, 2014
    Results from TISPOL Europe-wide speed enforcement operation
    TISPOL has released the results of a pan-European speed control operation in August, which shows that more than 600,000 drivers were detected for breaking speed limits. A total of 29 countries took part in the operation. Of the final total of 605,523 detections, 189,432 were made directly by police officers and 416,091 came from automatic technical means.
  • November 21, 2013
    Autonomous vehicles, the pros and cons
    Driver interface and human factors could provide the biggest obstacles to autonomous vehicles as Jon Masters discovers.
  • June 6, 2014
    Transport ministers hold back progress on lorry safety
    EU member states have dealt a blow to plans to allow lorry makers to sell safer vehicles. Transport ministers meeting today agreed that European Commission proposals to enable, not require, manufacturers to make changes to lorry cabs that improve visibility and reduce the impact of crashes on other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists should be subject to an eight-year delay. The position of transport ministers is at odds with the European Parliament, which said in April that safer cab designs should be pe
  • April 26, 2016
    Automated vehicles need ‘driving tests’
    European Union rules on safety approvals for new cars will need to be revised to include ‘driving tests’ for automated and fully-autonomous vehicles according to a new report from the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC). ETSC says the EU is far from answering the many research and regulatory questions that must be considered before automated and autonomous vehicles can be put on sale. The report says the priority must be ensuring that the promised safety benefits are delivered in real world driving.