Let ’ s Rewrite The Ending
The rise of AEB and LSS technology and why it is helping save Australian lives
WORDS BY DANIEL BRAID
A
new campaign by ANCAP Safety is helping to raise the profile of active vehicle safety technologies fitted to today ’ s new cars . The campaign features real-life dashcam footage captured and submitted to ANCAP by everyday Australians – showing firsthand near-misses with pedestrians and run-off-road crashes .
“ The message is simple . Mistakes do happen , but today ’ s collision avoidance technologies can help turn a negative into a positive ,” said ANCAP Director – Communications & Advocacy , Rhianne Robson .
“ Dashcam footage clearly demonstrates that everyday mistakes happen to everyday people , yet a mistake on the road – whether it be yours or someone else ’ s – does not have to be fatal .”
Ms Robson said the campaign was a conversion starter to get people seriously thinking about the role that autonomous emergency braking ( AEB ) and lane support systems ( LSS ) have in improving safety .
“ It ’ s definitely generated some robust discussion . It ’ s getting people talking about the benefits – and the limitations - of the technologies . We ’ re also gaining an insight into consumers views of these features and their use and acceptance of the technology ,” Ms Robson said .
AEB has been found to reduce the risk of realworld rear-end crashes by 54-57 per cent , while LSS technology such as Lane Departure Warning ( LDW ) and Lane Keep Assist ( LKA ) systems can reduce head-on and single-vehicle crashes by almost a third . With figures like that it ’ s no wonder fleets are already introducing these technologies into their organisations .
“ Fleets can prioritise safety by continuing to look for five star rated vehicles ,” Ms Robson said .
“ The important point is to look for the most recent datestamped five-star rating from the start of this year – 2020 .”
12 ISSUE 26 DECEMBER 2020 / WWW . AFMA . ORG . AU