Bosch says its new ibooster emergency braking system designed to protect cyclists and pedestrians will initiate in 190 milliseconds, bringing a car to a stop from 40kph.
“Driver assistance systems are the next step along the path toward accident-free driving,” said Bosch board member, Dirk Hoheisel. “These electronic assistants are always vigilant and, in emergencies, they respond more quickly than people can.
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“They provide support just where drivers need it – in busy city traffic.”
In Germany, bicycles are involved in one-fourth of all accidents resulting in personal injury. According to the German Federal Statistics Office, 393 people were killed in such accidents in 2016 alone; roughly 12% of the country’s total road fatalities.
Some two-thirds of these accidents involve a car. Equipping every car in Germany with an emergency braking system that can detect cyclists would prevent almost half (43%) the bicycle/motor vehicle accidents that result in personal injury, or at least mitigate their severity maintains Bosch.
“An emergency braking assistant may reduce braking distance by the few crucial centimetres that can mean the difference between life and death,” said Bosch Chassis Systems Control division president, Gerhard Steiger.
The European New Car Assessment Programme has also recognised the importance of emergency braking systems for road safety.
Starting next year, the consumer protection association’s star rating system will include emergency braking with cyclist detection.
Emergency braking systems with pedestrian detection have been part of the rating system since 2016.
