Driver assistance systems aim to halve traffic accidents

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reveal how technology is being applied to augment drivers' skills and improve road safety throughout Europe.Design/methodology/approach – The paper begins with a description of the European Commission's car safety initiatives, and why they are necessary. Then three driver‐assistance systems are examined in detail: adaptive cruise control, lane departure and lane‐changing systems, and driver vigilance monitoring.Findings – Radar, lidar, and imaging sensors are being used and sometimes fused to build highly intelligent driver assistance equipment. The response of the system is crucial to its acceptance and success: false alarms or over‐violent actuation would lead to rejection. Neither must the system encourage over‐confidence. It is estimated that drowsiness detection could prevent 30 per cent of fatal motorway crashes.Originality/value – The paper alerts engineers and drivers to a long‐term Europe‐wide project to develop and deploy driver assistance technologies.