Steering beyond the Dark Ages

2017 is witnessing the rapidly changing face of transport, but is car and road safety keeping up with the transformation?

For many science fiction groupies, the future has been a slow-moving disappointment. Since the 1940s we have been eagerly awaiting the imminent arrival of flying cars, jet packs and commercialised ejector seats. Perhaps technology hasn’t unfolded the way we expected, and we haven’t yet colonised the moon, but some of those comic book imaginings are finally coming to fruition. In particular, car enthusiasts have been rubbing their hands together with glee, tossing and turning at night because the self-drive car has finally breached the barriers of their deepest fantasies and entered the realm of reality. 21 million autonomous vehicles will be sold globally during the year 2035, with the US market welcoming the earliest arrival by 2020, according to the Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas last year.

The self-driving car is widely viewed as the commuter’s best buddy. Surely a machine unimpaired by human distractions such as fatigue or a screaming child will make us feel safer. However, have we considered the reality of the obvious? Self-driving means truly taking a backseat in the front seat. As a passenger, I can barely restrain myself from reminding my irate chauffeur to indicate or watch out for the pedestrian, so can I honestly sit back and allow a faceless know-it-all to ferry me about no questions asked? Maybe I’m more neurotic than most but to totally relinquish control, I require greater reassurance than a seat belt and a hope and a prayer.

Analysts predict self-driving cars will be entering the market in the service industry as taxis with companies like Uber. To third party companies such as these, ferrying around precious (love to sue) cargo, safety will be of paramount importance.

Bizarrely, although road vehicles are moving towards total redesign, there has been relatively no change in road accident response since the invention of the telephone. We’ve welcomed controlled cars and we’re about to hail the arrival of autonomous cars – it’s certainly about time to rehaul road safety.

Recent reports indicate that change is on the horizon, potentially dredging road response into the 21st century. “eCall” is a new EU approved technology, the ‘e’ is for ‘emergency’ and emergency calls is the name of the game. By March 2018 all new cars to be sold in the EU are legally obligated to come fitted out with an “Emergency 112” button. When pushed, this button will connect you to 999 in the UK. It’s very Bond, except you reach emergency services rather than Moneypenny.

Pushing the button on the dash manually is one way to activate the device, alternatively, should the driver find themselves incapacitated the call will be made automatically based on sensor responses or airbag deployment. The SIM embedded in the vehicle is triggered once the call is made, upon which it will send out vital information such as the car’s location, make, model, and fuel type. Emergency services can feasibly begin speaking into the car à la Knight Rider as quickly as twenty seconds after impact, a response time unmatched by the current system.

Thinking ahead, eCall has the potential to grow beyond increasing accident response rates by also reducing the likelihood of collisions and accidents. For example, it could encompass a technology for detection of incidents on the most congested parts of the road network. It could promote improved response and incident scene management between police, fire and emergency services. Its modernised format means that enhancements will require minimum effort, much like an OS update. eCall may generate some hysteria about privacy issues and Big Brother (the Amazon Echo being the conspiracy theorist’s holy grail), however, the fear would be entirely unfounded. The device is only activated for a one hour window starting with the time the call goes out during which time it transmits the vital information. After that point eCall disconnects from your mobile network and entirely deactivates.

I know what you’re thinking, self-driving car or regular car, increased road safety means writing a bigger cheque. The increase in manufacturing costs to include eCall is an estimated £70, which will inevitably trickle down to the consumer. However, considering that I added £2000 to my final cost at my last car purchase by opting for glittery paint and adding a little drinks cooler I’ve never used, I’ll happily pay a small premium to increase my life expectancy. Imagine climbing into your car, settling in with a book and trusting your vehicle to call for help, ladies and gentlemen I believe that’s the future at the door.