The market for ADAS is at a critical tipping point with several factors and activities converging to promote the uptake of active safety systems by the mass market.
The factors supporting ADAS are:
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Inclusion of ADAS in new car safety assessments by organisations like Euro NCAP and NHTSA.
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Insurance companies developing test procedures to evaluate the impact of ADAS on the number and severity of crashes. The insurers are looking to compare the increased repair costs for ADAS sensors with the benefits of systems such as Autonomous Emergency Braking.
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Governments and road safety charities are promoting uptake of ADAS through driver education activities as they see ADAS as a key method of reducing road deaths and injuries.
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EC legislation requiring fitment of ADAS in trucks and buses will come into force at the end of 2012 and private cars are expected to follow. The report provides an expected timeline for this emerging legislation.
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Vehicle manufacturers are continuing to reduce system prices and migrate ADAS availability to mass market models.
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Technology developments such as the integration of radar and camera; and sharing of sensors between multiple applications are enabling price reductions in ADAS. Multiple radar technologies based on different frequencies (24 GHZ, 77 GHz and 79 GHz) allow vehicle manufactures to trade off cost and performance according to their market strategies.
The factors holding back ADAS include:
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A lack of legislative clarity within the EC on its plans to mandate Autonomous Emergency Braking and Lane Departure Warning in private cars following trucks and buses.
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Both Euro NCAP and NHTSA have still not included ADAS within their formal star ratings.
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The insurance industry as a whole is still undecided on the emergence of ADAS. Some insurers are positive and offer discounts for models equipped with ADAS while others are concerned over potential sensor repair costs.
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Interference between radar systems when deployment becomes commonplace. The EC, vehicle manufacturers and system suppliers are aware of this issue and are working on finding solutions.
For more information on Kick-starting the mass market for ADAS - A review of the key market drivers, email Juanita Appleby on jappleby@sbd.co.uk