Driver most important element in road safety

9 July 2004 Driver most important element in road safety In the view of Hasse Johansson, Group Vice President and head of Research and Development at Scania, the driver is the most important player in the context of the safety of a heavy truck in road traffic. "We must give priority to the driver if we are to achieve the European Commission's target of halving traffic fatalities. And we must also make trucks safer for other road users. "The professional driver is the most important player when it comes to the safety of a heavy vehicle in road traffic and it is the truckmaker's responsibility to support him in every possible way," says Hasse Johansson. The European Commission has established the target of halving the number of traffic fatalities and injuries between 2000 and 2010. Every year, approximately 50,000 people die and 2.2 million are injured on EU roads. The remedial measures proposed include the encouragement of safer driving behaviour through driver training programmes, while the use of seat belts will be increased by means of intensified information campaigns. A new driving licence system and additional advanced training courses will be introduced to improve road user skills. Areas in which Scania will introduce measures to maximise driver support will include the driver's environment, ergonomics, vehicle handling and braking systems. A good working environment is not only essential to help the driver to avoid accidents and minimise the consequences should one nevertheless occur; it also makes it easier to recruit good drivers who can drive safely while reducing fuel consumption and environmental impact. "Crash safety in traffic collisions between heavy and light vehicles can be improved significantly, over and above what is provided by obligatory underrun protection," adds Hasse Johansson. "The chances of survival in a car involved in a collision with a truck would be greatly improved if truckmakers were permitted to provide a specially designed collision zone at the front of the vehicle, in addition to the current permissible length." In terms of surviving an accident, calculations show that a collision zone at the front of the truck would increase the collision speed (or the difference in speed between the vehicles) from 60 km/h to about 90 km/h. "This could save several hundred lives a year," declares Hasse Johansson. The issue of crash safety was discussed at a workshop organised today by the German Motor Industry Federation in advance of the international truck and bus show to be held in Hannover in September. As the sole representative of the Swedish industry, Hasse Johansson, head of Research and Development at Scania, delivered an address under the title of 'The truck in the European road safety strategy'. For further information, please contact Urban Wästljung, tel. +46-8-553 836 74. Scania is one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks and buses for heavy transport applications, and of industrial and marine engines. With 29,1 00 employees and production facilities in Europe and Latin America, Scania is one of the most profitable companies in its sector. In 2003, turnover totalled SEK 50,500 million and the result after financial items was SEK 4,600 million. Scania products are marketed in about 100 countries worldwide and some 95 percent of Scania's vehicles are sold outside Sweden. Scania press releases are available on the Internet, www.scania.com [N04020EN] P-E Nordström ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2004/07/09/20040702BIT00220/wkr0001.pdf