New EU requirements come into force on July 6
Modern driver assistance systems have great potential – but also their limits
New EU regulations come into force on July 6: Many vehicle models newly put on the market from this date must have certain modern driver assistance systems on board. The aim is to further reduce the number of traffic fatalities in the European Union through technical assistance. “Modern driver assistance systems have great potential to prevent accidents,” says Ulrike Hetzel, Member of the Board and Chief Technology Officer of the expert organization DEKRA. “However, it is also important to realize where their limitations lie.”
- New vehicle models must have a range of assistance systemss on board
- DEKRA experts: Drivers remain responsible for their vehicles
- Long-term reliable function must be ensured and independently tested
Among other things, what was already mandatory for certain trucks and buses is now also coming to passenger cars and light commercial vehicles: advanced emergency braking assistants that must at least detect stationary and moving vehicles and brake independently. From 2024, emergency braking assistants must also be able to react to pedestrians and cyclists.
One example is the so-called blind spot information system, which warns the driver if a vehicle is in the area not visible through the rearview mirror, i.e. in the blind spot, and a lane change would therefore be dangerous.
Assistance systems such as those newly prescribed can only realize their potential for improving road safety if they function reliably over the entire life cycle of the vehicle. “This must be ensured – and it must also be possible to test this independently as part of vehicle inspection,” says the DEKRA expert.