66th ECE Commission
Geneva, 14-16 April 2015
Connectivity and Competitiveness for Sustainable Lives
Sustainable Connectivity Includes Safe Mobility Which Also Requires Safe Vehicles
Presentation by: David Ward , Secretary General, Global New Car Assessment Programme
UN Decade of Action for Road Safety
The Decade’s goal is to ‘stabilize and then
reduce the level of road fatalities’ equivalent
to a 50% reduction in the forecast level of
fatalities by 2020. This would avoid 5 million
deaths, 50 million injuries . The Decade is
supported by a Global Plan with five pillars:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Building Management Capacity
Encouraging Safer User Behaviour
Building Safer Vehicles
Building Safer Roads
Improving Post Crash Care
The Decade Plan includes seven recommended
activities in ‘pillar three’ to promote vehicle safety;
such as applying minimum crash test standards
and promoting NCAPs in all world regions. This was
endorsed by the UN GA in a resolution in April 2014.
ECE - Promoting Global Vehicle Safety Standards
General Assembly Resolution 68/269
Improving global road safety, April 2014
Reaffirms the role and importance of
the United Nations legal instruments
on road safety, such as…the 1958 and
1998 agreements of the World Forum
for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations,
in facilitating road safety at the global,
regional and national levels, and
encourages Member States that have
not yet done so to consider becoming
contracting parties and, beyond
accession, applying, implementing and
promoting their provisions or safety
regulations…
The most important car safety UN Regulations are:
Reg. 14 Seat belt anchorages
Reg. 16 Safety belts & restraints
Reg. 94 Frontal collision
Reg. 95 Lateral collision
Reg.13H (GTR 8) Electronic stability control
Reg.127 (GTR 9) Pedestrian protection
Vehicle Safety’s Winning Formula:
Regulatory Push & Demand Pull
In high income countries the combination of
safety standards and consumer information
have made passenger cars safer than ever
before. This is the positive result of “regulatory
push” and “demand pull”.
The challenge now is to extend this progress to
the rapidly motorising low and middle income
countries which now account 50% of car sales
and production…and over 90% of road fatalities.
Today millions of new cars sold in low and
middle income countries fail to meet minimum
UN crash test standards, have no air bags, and
no electronic stability control (ESC).
Changing Geography of the Global Car Market
Top 10 Car Producing
Countries/regions 2013
Crash Worthiness: Front & Side Occupant Protection
Crash tests for front and side impact are the
most important assessment tools for occupant
protection; and are used both in legislation
and consumer information programmes.
The frontal impact simulates a car to car crash
in which the test vehicle hits a barrier that
replicates the soft front end of the other
vehicle. The impact is ‘offset’ with a 40%
overlap.
The UN Reg. 94 test speed is 56 km/h whilst
NCAP tests usually use 64 km/h (the speed
at which fatalities are most likely).
The side impact test uses a trolley that hits the
vehicle just above the door sill area at 50 km/h.
Crash Avoidance: First Generation ‘eSafety’ Technologies
Three key crash avoidance systems are today’s priority
technologies for passenger cars, buses, commercial
vehicles and motor cycles:
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) anti-skid system
with capacity to reduce up to 40% of run-off road crashes.
Now mandatory in most high income countries.
Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) uses laser &
radar to automatically apply the brakes if the driver
does not react and can cut collisions at low speed by
20%. Pedestrian systems are also appearing and will
become an important injury prevention technology.
Motorcycle Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) helps reduce
stopping distances. Motorcycles equipped with ABS
have rate of fatal crashes 37 per cent lower than same
models without.
Democratizing Car Safety: A Road Map for Safer Cars 2020
• Calls for the ‘democratisation ‘of car safety by the
combination of stronger consumer information and
universal application of minimum UN standards for
crash protection and avoidance.
• Proposes ten key recommendations including the
phased application by 2020 to all new cars of the
UN’s front, side ,and pedestrian impact crash tests
and the anti-skid system, electronic stability control.
• These actions, together with measures promoting
safer roads and road users, are needed to meet the
UN Decade of Action target to cut forecast road
deaths in 2020 by 50%; and also contribute to the
post 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
which are likely to include road safety and a new
casualty reduction target.
Connectivity and Competitiveness for Safe Mobility
• The drive for safer vehicles is both affordable and
necessary to achieve UN sustainable mobility goals
by 2030. Meeting minimum crash standards can cost
less than US $200 per vehicle.
• The growth of ‘eSafety’ technologies will require
further regulatory support and action to promote
their application in rapidly motorising regions.
• Universal implementation of UN standards for crash
protection and avoidance will bring economies of
scale, reduce cost, and promote fair competition .
• The UNECE serves as the custodian of the global motor
vehicle regulatory system and this role needs stronger
support and recognition.
• All UN Member States (especially vehicle producers)
should use it to promote safer mobility worldwide.
Thank You!
Global NCAP is supported by: