Robert Bosch LLC released a statement this week saying it applauds recent decisions by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regarding autonomous and connected driving and improved vehicle safety testing.
Both decisions – NHTSA enhancing its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), and the DOT initiatives that encourage investment in automated and connected vehicle pilot projects while removing potential roadblocks to the integration of automotive technology that can improve safety, mobility and sustainability – support Bosch’s goal of completely eradicating road accidents, the company says.
“Bosch commends NHTSA and the DOT for their leadership on this topic and will continue to stand as a strong supporter of the proliferation of safety technologies that bring great benefit to society,” said Mike Mansuetti, president, Robert Bosch LLC. “Bringing light to these life-saving technologies has been a long-sought-after objective of Bosch, and we are proud to be a partner in this tremendous step forward.”
New NCAP update enhances vehicle safety
NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) provides comparative new vehicle safety information to assist consumers with purchasing decisions and encourages manufacturers to improve vehicle safety. In order to keep pace with advancements in occupant protection and the introduction of advanced vehicle technologies, the enhanced NCAP places a focus on crash avoidance, pedestrian detection, avoidance and protection, crash dummy changes used during testing, as well as a new oblique crash test.
As part of Bosch’s “Invented for life” mantra and vision of its founder, Robert Bosch, the company says it remains committed to ensuring safety technology is available across all makes and models. One example of this is Bosch’s automatic emergency braking (AEB) technology, which can help prevent up to 74 percent of all rear-end collisions in the United States alone.
Autonomous and connected technologies lead to safer roads
In addition to the recent NHTSA changes promoting safety technology, the DOT is making an effort to accelerate the adoption of advanced vehicle technology, such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication, resulting in significant reduction of traffic fatalities and injuries, according to the Intelligent Transportation Society of America.
DOT’s proposed $4 billion investment over the span of 10 years will be used for automated and connected vehicle pilot projects that test connected vehicle systems in designated corridors throughout the country, and work with industry leaders to ensure a common multistate framework for connected and autonomous vehicles.
These technologies will save thousands of lives each year and bring the industry closer to the common goal of zero deaths on America’s roads, Bosch says. From advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to automated technology, the positive impact on crashes is significant. For example, ADAS have the potential to prevent 30 percent of all crashes, and together with autonomous technology, could reduce crashes and their associated cost to society by 90 percent, according to research from Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) and The Boston Consulting Group.
Bosch participates in education for advanced safety technologies
As part of its continued education effort around safe technologies for the road, Bosch will present at the SAE 2016 Government/Industry Conference. Frank Sgambati, director of marketing and product planning for Chassis Systems Control in North America, Robert Bosch LLC, will be a participating presenter as part of the Crash Avoidance Safety Ratings technical session taking place today.
In addition to industry efforts, consumers can access more information from NHTSA to understand these technologies and how they will assist in driving situations. To learn more about vehicle safety technologies, visit safercar.gov.
