The European Commission on Monday proposed that all new cars be fitted with an advanced braking system that can detect an emergency and shrink reaction times for slowing the vehicle.
The proposal to install Brake Assist Systems in vehicles beginning in 2009 is part of a set of measures intended to protect pedestrians.
If the new systems are installed, up to 1,100 pedestrian lives per year could be saved, the European Union's executive predicted. The new system, already installed in several models, detects when a driver is in an emergency situation but has failed to apply sufficient brake power.
In such situations, the system releases pressurized brake fluid into the system as soon as the driver touches the brake pedal, reducing stopping times.
“This proposal is good and important for the safety of all road users, especially vulnerable groups like pedestrians and cyclists,” said Guenter Verheugen, the EU's industry commissioner.
EU official Reinhard Schulte-Braucks declined to estimate the cost for the industry of installing the system, but told reporters it was “not overly expensive.”
Schulte-Braucks, head of the automotive industry unit at EU headquarters, said the costs would be far outweighed by savings caused by fewer injuries and fatalities.
Europe's auto manufactures backed the idea.
“The industry welcomes the proposal and they think it is feasible,” said Sigrid de Vries, director of communications for the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association.
However, she said the EU should also focus on better enforcement of road safety laws and improve the conditions of Europe's roads in order to cut accident rates.
