Continental's Vision of Total Vehicle Safety

Applying proactive integrated technology can reduce crashes and mitigate injuries

TROY, Mich., April 21 -- In a presentation at the WWJ Business Breakfast today, Continental Automotive Systems, North America, President and CEO Bill Kozyra said that the auto industry is in the midst of a safety revolution and presented Continental's vision of how the development of active safety technology will help save lives.

Kozyra said that a new generation of technology through improved sensors, processors and general electronic capabilities are giving drivers the ability to avoid critical situations in everyday traffic. "Managing the seconds before a crash is THE target of opportunity in motor vehicle safety," said Kozyra. "The future will be an advanced combination of active and passive safety."

Kozyra outlined Continental's goal of applying proactive technology through an integrated, comprehensive assistance system to provide drivers and occupants with the best possible support and help prevent the occurrence of crashes and mitigate injuries. This vision is demonstrated in Continental's total vehicle safety concept. "The integration of active and passive safety into a total safety approach advocated by NHTSA will address those areas of the traffic safety picture where significant gains can be made with real world solutions," Kozyra said.

The total vehicle safety concept uses Electronic Stability Control (ESC) as the foundation with its credibility in the market providing the opportunity to add more "intelligence." "NHTSA recently found ESC reduces single vehicle crashes in passenger cars by 35 percent and in SUVs by 67 percent," said Kozyra. "NHTSA was stunned by the results of their own study and I'm paraphrasing, but Dr. Runge called ESC 'the best thing since seatbelts!'" Other studies have reached similar conclusions. Kozyra applauded the efforts of several automakers, including Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chrysler, and GM to make ESC a standard feature on many or all of their vehicles in the coming years.

"The capabilities of electronic stability control and the power of electronics and software allow for the addition of new functions and the integration of those functions so they operate as a total system," said Kozyra. "These new functions offer the driver new tools to address the problem with fatalities caused by rollovers, rear-end and side collisions, lane departure, and off-the-road crashes." One study found that 17 percent of crashes could be prevented if vehicles were equipped with crash avoidance systems that helped overcome driver error in these instances.

Continental, a major supplier of ESC, is using technology to help reach the Department of Transportation's goal of reducing fatalities to 1.0 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled by 2008. Combining the success of ESC with the benefits of other crash avoidance systems and integrating the protection of passive safety technology into a total safety system, Continental can create a virtual safety cocoon for drivers and occupants.

Continental has already taken this approach to the next level. For the past several months, Continental has been demonstrating a vehicle with customers that shows this concept in real life driving situations. "A vehicle that, like a human body, has a central computer that gathers data, synthesizes it, activates and controls the electronic reflexes," explained Kozyra. "Tests of a vehicle equipped with total vehicle safety technology showed we could achieve a 15 percent reduction in braking distance by using area sensors integrated with the brakes."

"The goal of 1.0 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled is a bold and courageous move, one drawn with confidence in the methodology needed to achieve it," Kozyra concluded. "Our challenge will be to link the information generated both by existing systems and those yet to come, put them to the task of saving lives and convince consumers of their value."

Kozyra appeared on a panel that included Brian O'Neill, President of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Robert Lange of General Motors, and Automotive/Engineering Consultant Dave McLellan.

With 2004 sales of approximately $15.6 billion (US), Continental AG is a major supplier of brake systems, chassis components, vehicle electronics, tires and technical rubber products. Continental Automotive Systems' North American operation is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich. and is a leading global supplier of quality automotive systems that contribute to driver safety, comfort and peace-of-mind.