Skip to main content

Continental: US road deaths are ‘public health crisis’

The 40,000 deaths on US roads last year amount to a ‘public health crisis’, according to Continental North America’s president Jeff Klei. Giving the opening keynote address at ITS America’s 28th Annual Meeting & Expo, Klei said: “If you could save 40,000 lives a year, would you? We believe this situation needs to be treated with the same priority as other health crises in this country.” But help is at hand, he said. The concept of ‘Vision Zero’, where there are no fatalities from crashes, “seems a lon
June 6, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
Jeff Klei of Continental: safety message
The 40,000 deaths on US roads last year amount to a ‘public health crisis’, according to 260 Continental North America’s president Jeff Klei. Giving the opening keynote address at 560 ITS America’s 28th Annual Meeting & Expo, Klei said: “If you could save 40,000 lives a year, would you?


We believe this situation needs to be treated with the same priority as other health crises in this country.”

But help is at hand, he said. The concept of ‘Vision Zero’, where there are no fatalities from crashes, “seems a long way off but it is not as far as you think if we all work together”.

With the technology that is already available “on the shelf” – such as blindspot alert, collision warning and lane assist – 12,000 lives could be saved each year, he insisted. However, drivers tend not to trust newer technology.

For example, seatbelts have been mandated in the US since 1968 and are reckoned to have saved 15,000 lives in 2017 – but Continental’s annual mobility study showed that 77% of respondents last year were worried about the reliability of automated driving.

Klei’s answer is to explain more: “Education leads to trust which leads to consumer acceptance.” Rather than using statistics, the company is taking what it calls a ‘storytelling’ approach which people tend to relate to more.

In addition, Continental is doing more research “to understand new traffic challenges” and, Klei pledged, will continue investing in advanced driver assistance systems and automated tech.

Finally, it is important that safety features are affordable and available to everyone as standard. “Safety is not an ‘option’ for premium segments only,” he concluded. “It should not require a purchaser to check a box.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Authorities switch on to all electric buses as costs tumble
    January 9, 2018
    Alan Dron looks at changes in bus propulsion as cities look to improve air quality and seek to reduce maintenance costs. Despite the ending of various incentives to adopt alternative fuels, the introduction of electric buses by US transit authorities is picking up speed as performance improves, costs drop and air quality considerations become increasingly significant. More US bus manufacturers are introducing zero-emission models and some recent contracts will see many more passengers getting their first
  • Atlanta ponders Mobility as a Service for seamless transit
    June 29, 2018
    Drivers in Atlanta spent 70 hours in peak-time traffic jams last year. As the MaaS Market conference moves to the US’s fourth most congested city, we ask how Mobility as a Service can help. Colin Sowman winds down his window to listen. It is not by accident that ITS International’s first MaaS Market conference outside London is being hosted in Atlanta. The event is being supported by Georgia State Road & Tollway Authority and the City of Atlanta – and again not without a reason as metro Atlanta is looking
  • Copenhagen to showcase ITS in action at ITSWC 2018
    December 18, 2017
    As delegates head for the 2017 ITS World Congress in Montreal, we talk to Copenhagen mayor Morten Kabell about why his city is the ideal location for next year’s event. It may have been a long time coming but the ITS World Congress will be in Copenhagen in 2018 and there can be few more fitting places to host the event. By any number of metrics - interconnected transport, cycle commuting, safer streets, reduced pollution, sustainable energy and quality of life - the Danish capital has implemented what m
  • Here’s HD AV map prepared for 5G
    June 17, 2019
    The emergence of 5G may not be necessary to provide a high-definition map for autonomous driving, says Matt Preyss from Here Technologies. Ben Spencer asks why 5G is a hot topic worldwide, with the potential for faster transfer of information eagerly awaited by those convinced that it will be a game-changer for the ITS industry. High-definition (HD) maps are essential to allow autonomous vehicles (AVs) to understand their environment, and operate safely within it in relation to other road users and p