Isn't any speed of a smart car safe?

There are many contradictory phenomena in the Chinese auto market. Today, with the continuous improvement and popularization of automobile safety technology, the number of traffic casualties is still high. With only one month left in 2016, looking forward to 2017, security remains an important challenge for the Chinese automotive society. To achieve truly sustainable mobility, human beings must solve the security problems that come with more and more cars. Many governments have realized this. Not long ago, the United States issued the "Autonomous Driving Vehicle Policy" to protect the autonomous driving from the legislative level. The United States also stipulates that starting from May 1, 2018, all car manufacturers must install a reversing image system for all new cars. In China, in July 2015, it was stipulated that micro-faced mandatory installation of ABS. At the end of September, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced on its official website that the mandatory national standards for review of the performance requirements and test methods for passenger car tire pressure monitoring systems have been reviewed. In the near future, the tire pressure monitoring system will also become a mandatory equipment for new domestic cars.

How many people in China die each year from traffic accidents? Different statistical calibers yield different results. According to the annual data released by the Public Security Traffic Management Bureau of the traffic safety department, the annual number of traffic deaths in China has not increased with the increase in car ownership. On the contrary, it has generally shown a downward trend, and the decline is not low. In 2015, it was 72,300 people, 31,700 fewer than the 104,000 in 2003. However, according to statistics from the Chinese health department, the number of deaths from car accidents in China has increased year by year. In 2012, there were 166,900 people, doubled from 2002. No matter whether it is 72,300 or 166,900, it is not a small number. In the world, China ranks first in the year, accounting for about 20% (in the past five years, the number of global traffic deaths is 400,000 to 500,000. In China, there are about 100,000 people.)

The number of deaths from traffic accidents in China is high. It is generally believed that there are four main reasons: First, domestic traffic can't be seen as a separate “trunk and car diversion”. Foreign countries often crash cars, and domestic cars are often hit by people. The former has a high probability of death and the latter has a low probability of death. Secondly, domestic drivers' safety awareness is still weak, and they have not developed the habit of obeying traffic rules. Moreover, a large number of novices accumulate driving experience on the road, and their reaction speed and driving skills need to be improved. Finally, and most importantly, when consumers buy cars, price, comfort configuration, and fuel economy are the top three considerations. According to statistics, only 36% of consumers in China consume cars before focusing on car safety. It can be seen that the importance of safety is lower than that of Europe.

In the early years, NCAP in Europe conducted a survey of the automotive market for European consumers. The survey found that near the same price point, the safety of the car became the primary consideration for consumers, followed by the reliability of the car. European consumers not only pay attention to the safety of passengers in the car, but also the protection of pedestrians to vehicles, with a ratio of more than 60%. In Europe, before buying a car, an average of 47% of people will know the safety of the car in advance. The proportion in Germany is the highest, reaching 70%.

No speed is safe

You may not know that pedestrians collide with cars that travel at a speed of 30km/h. The impact pressure of pedestrians is the same as the impact on the eight chairs that are stacked up and falling face down to the ground. A child weighing only 30 kilograms was hit by a car with a speed of 40km/h and suffered a frontal impact of up to one ton. According to the principle of force and reaction, these impact forces and frontal impact forces also act on the passengers in the car. Such a large impact force can cause the ribs of the person to break directly, pierce the lungs, and die within one minute.

According to internal statistics of car companies, more than 70% of China’s fatal traffic accidents are caused by pedestrian or non-motor vehicle violations. The violations of pedestrians, motorcycles and non-motor vehicles are an important cause of the traffic accident rate in China, especially the high mortality rate. It is not enough to pay attention to traffic safety only when driving. Role conversion, as a pedestrian, should be more vigilant. For pedestrians, as long as the car is in a driving state, there is a potential threat, and any speed is not safe.

At the recent auto show, safety configuration has gradually become the protagonist: intelligent driving information system, blind zone monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning system, reversing image, etc., become the "standard" of the show car, plus the previous safety body Safety belts, airbags, air curtains, ABS, EBD, ESP, active steering, etc., now the safety of new cars has been greatly improved. In contrast, pedestrian safety awareness needs to be strengthened. If the pedestrian's safety awareness is not enough, even if the speed is slower and safer, the car will cause more damage to pedestrians.