EU to Curb Ped Deaths With BAS. Or Not.

Glenn Swanson
by Glenn Swanson

The European Union (EU) wants to cut the number of pedestrian fatalities caused by cars in half by 2010; Auto Industry reports some 8k Eurozone pedestrians and cyclists are killed by vehicles each year. The EU is proposing that all new cars be equipped with Brake Assist Systems (BAS). (Brake Assist systems monitor how fast the brake pedal is being depressed and when panic stops are detected; the system automatically applies maximum boost.) The EU figures “if the complete European car fleet is fitted with BAS, as many as 1,100 pedestrian lives may be saved every year.” According to EU Commission Vice-President Günter Verheugen, the new regulation would replace 27 national laws and two EU directives. It’s all spelled out (in language only a bureaucrat could love) in an EU white paper poetically entitled Directive 2003/102/EC.

Glenn Swanson
Glenn Swanson

Glenn is a baby-boomer, born in 1954. Along with his wife, he makes his home in Connecticut. Employed in the public sector as an Information Tedchnology Specialist, Glenn has long been a car fan. Past rides have included heavy iron such as a 1967 GTO, to a V8 T-Bird. In between those high-horsepower cars, he's owned a pair of BMW 320i's. Now, with a daily commute of 40 miles, his concession to MPG dictates the ownership of a 2006 Honda Civic coupe which, while fun to drive, is a modest car for a pistonhead. As an avid reader, Glenn enjoys TTAC, along with many other auto-realated sites, and the occasional good book. As an avid electronic junkie, Glenn holds an Advanced Class amateur ("ham") radio license, and is into many things electronic. From a satellite radio and portable GPS unit in the cars, to a modest home theater system and radio-intercom in his home, if it's run by the movement of electrons, he's interested. :-)

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  • Stuntnun Stuntnun on Oct 10, 2007

    are they going to make another law to try to make their cars uglier? they already did this by requiring the hood of a vehicle to be higher over the engine block so that if you hit some one ,there will be some give before there melon smashed on it. i wonder what this system would look like? a set a boobs on a domed hood- maybe people would just quit being careful driving/walking cause they will think no ones going to get that hurt if ya get hit or hit somebody.------------- i read the article wrong, i see its just a system for slow people that cant push the peddle fast enough to the floor-hope they dont get ideas about boob bumpers though .

  • SunnyvaleCA SunnyvaleCA on Oct 10, 2007

    I have BAS in my C43 AMG. Weird break feel under normal driving, but you get used to it. I think that the "benefits" are supposed to be 2-fold: the system applies full breaking power sooner than your foot can push to the floor and the system provides more pedal push than some drivers would otherwise use. While the first benefit might actually be useful, the second benefit is only for those that haven't learned how to drive.

  • Jason Lombard Jason Lombard on Oct 10, 2007

    Radimus, That was my first thought. No thanks. Don't need it. Time to start teaching threshold braking in driving school.

  • Kevin Kevin on Oct 10, 2007

    Why don't they just ban walking in the first place?

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