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TAC campaigns for Auto Emergency Braking
Victorian road safety body says AEB should be considered as important as stability control, curtain airbagsVictoria's Transport Accident Commission (TAC) has launched its latest advertising campaign aimed at increasing the awareness Auto Emergency Braking (AEB) technology can play in road safety.
The TAC says AEB technology has the potential to "significantly reduce both the number and severity of rear-end collisions", which it says account for around 16 per cent of all crash injuries in the state.
AEB is already offered on more than 50 new car models in Victoria, and typically uses sensors, radar, laser or cameras to monitor the road ahead, assessing the potential for collisions with other vehicles, pedestrians or hazards. If a risk is detected, the system provides an initial (visual or audible) warning to the driver, and if a collision is imminent, automatically applies the brakes.
The TAC's assistant treasurer, Gordon Rich-Phillips, says AEB is a safety technology that new car buyers should prioritise, and that he hopes it will soon be considered as important as stability control and curtain airbags.
"The new TAC campaign aims to drive consumer demand for the technology in the same way earlier campaigns drove a sharp increase in the uptake of safety features like curtain airbags and electronic stability control," Rich-Phillips said.
"Based on past experiences, the TAC's campaign to highlight the life-saving potential of AEB is expected to result in a sharp rise in demand for this technology and it is anticipated that demand will in time lead to a situation where AEB becomes a standard feature on almost every vehicle on the market."
AEB technology varies in its effectiveness, and depending on the system can act to either reduce the impact speed in the event of a collision, or in some instances avoid the collision entirely. Increasingly, new vehicle models are being offered with AEB as standard higher in the model range, and in some instances optionally on lower end models. Typically, the technology is bundled with other supplementary electronic safety systems, and is priced from as little as $1500.
As vehicle model cycles are renewed, more manufacturers will work to include AEB technology into their range.
Volkswagen, for example, will soon offer AEB on its new Polo light hatch, with Volkswagen Australia general manager of communications, Karl Gehling, saying he believes the technology is "a very beneficial feature that Volkswagen is looking to implement [more comprehensively] as its vehicle model cycle refreshes".
It's a sentiment echoed by Hyundai. From November, the technology will soon be offered in the large Genesis sedan and is expected to trickle-down to other models as they are refreshed.
"Hyundai's goal is to make the latest safety equipment available on all of our cars as soon as possible," emphasised HMCA public relations general manager, Bill Thomas. "Although we don't currently offer an autonomous braking function on any of the Hyundai models sold in Australia, it will be a feature on the upcoming Genesis luxury sedan, due later in the year."
Nissan Australia backs the technology, offering that an AEB system is already available as standard in the Infiniti Q50, but hasn't said when the technology is likely to trickle down to the budget end of the spectrum. Globally, the company is working on what it calls its 'Autonomous Drive' concept to "help achieve an accident-free society by removing human error during driving." The safety principle embraces existing features offered in Nissans, including the Predictive Forward Collision Warning system, Forward Collision Avoidance, and the Autonomous Emergency Steering System.
For more information on the TAC's road safety strategy, or to view the AEB campaign, visit howsafeisyourcar.com.au
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Written byCarsales Staff
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
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