Bangkok--28 Nov--ABM connect
- Accident research increases understanding of what causes accidents and offers insights on how to prevent them
- Driver and rider error or misbehaviour is the leading cause of road accidents worldwide
- Active safety systems can significantly reduce risk of accidents by as much as 25 percent
For Bosch and its multidisciplinary team of mathematicians, physicists, and automobile and mechanical experts at Bosch Accident Research, a vehicular accident is much more than just two objects colliding. It is a confluence of elements that contribute to a sudden, and often fatal car crash. Worldwide, driver and rider error or misbehaviour is the leading cause of road accidents, but other circumstances also come into play: bad weather, poorly lit or damaged roads, lack of road signs, animal or pedestrian crossings, and vehicular flaws, either by design or improper maintenance, among many other factors.
As one of the world's leading automotive suppliers, Bosch believes that improving traffic safety will be greatly served by fully utilizing crash data to develop and implement life-saving measures based on facts, rather than intuition. Accident research takes all these into consideration, as it seeks to understand the root causes of vehicular crashes in order to prevent them in the future.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates a global toll of 1.3 million deaths and injuries annually due to road accidents. A further research by the Asian Development bank reveals that about 60 percent of these occur in Asia.
Bosch accident research collaborations in Asia
Across the Asian region, public policies and priorities have been devised and revised in pursuit of enhanced road safety. Policies need to address current and future traffic issues, which will require extensive study of the anatomy of road accidents. "Strategic collaboration among multiple sectors such as the government, automotive industry, and academic institutions will ensure long-term collection of more comprehensive data, nationwide reach, cost savings and impartial analysis and recommendations," says Joseph Hong, Managing Director of Bosch in Thailand.
Bosch recommends an end-to-end approach to look at the impact of crash statistics, where information gathered from crash scene investigations are analyzed to determine key contributing factors. The root causes, severity, and statistics of accidents are then summarized, along with an estimation of the benefits from preventive actions. Thomas Lich, Senior Expert at Bosch Accident Research, explains that "this methodology derives insights that will help bring about safer vehicles, and aid government agencies in developing measures that enhance infrastructure, enforcement, and emergency response."
One such example of this is the Road Accident Sampling System of India (RASSI), a joint accident research project led by 13 members from vehicle OEMs, research agencies, and automotive suppliers; among them Bosch. Since 2009, RASSI has been able to successfully document nearly 4,000 road accidents, and paved the way for infrastructure improvements on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, increased driver and rider safety awareness, as well as countermeasures like the installation of advanced vehicle safety systems.
Uptake in motorized two-wheelers spur need for greater vehicle safety
Southeast Asia is one of the fastest-growing markets for motorized two-wheel vehicles in the world. In the same report published by WHO, riders of motorized two-wheelers, along with pedestrians, are unfortunately also at most risk of road crashes, comprising nearly half of those who perish in road accidents.
Since 2005, the data collected and analysed by Bosch Accident Research reveals that majority of riders of motorized two-wheelers do not know how to react during emergency situations. This seems to be a common theme in three countries: Germany (33 percent), India (35 percent), and Thailand (43 percent). In all three, the second-highest reaction is falling down due to a lack of brakes, followed by a lack of braking power. Further research concluded that around one out of four accidents with injuries involving motorized two-wheelers could be prevented if these vehicles were equipped with ABS, assisting the rider in critical situations by reducing the risk of a rider falling.
In India, RASSI results are used to identify effective safety measures, including the potential of active safety systems, such as a combined braking system (CBS) or antilock braking system (ABS). Bosch has been a systems provider of the two-wheeler market for more than 20 years, and applies innovative system solutions to make riding safer. Bosch also believes that rider education is necessary to reduce deaths on the road.
Collective commitment
The cooperation of stakeholders to complete the circle of social responsibility is also key. Fortunately, a growing number of organizations in Southeast Asian countries are now working with Bosch Accident Research to assess local accident situations. Accident analysis is being explored in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam, while Thailand is focused on establishing on-spot accident investigation.
Thailand's on-spot accident research is focused on incidents with personal injuries. The aim is to train researchers on collecting on-spot crash data using a similar methodology from other projects. This will equip researches with the know-how in surveying pre-crash situations, such as road conditions and traffic management systems; and analyse post-crash situations to identify root causes, such as driver reactions and vehicle road-worthiness. They will also be trained to determine efficacy of emergency response. This will be then the baseline for future research to come up with countermeasures to improve safety on Thailand's roads, as experienced from other countries.
While the causes of road accidents are often universal, research will draw out unique circumstances where a differing action should be instigated. "A holistic approach based on accident research enables all parties to identify hot spots in infrastructure that need to be prioritized, along with the technology needed to improve emergency and rescue services," adds Lich.
Bosch believes that the first step in achieving road safety is an accident research initiative – one that is nationwide in scope and jointly driven by multiple sectors of society. The findings from the research will provide much-needed insights that will serve as the scientific basis for more effective road safety policies, ultimately resulting in millions of lives saved each year.
About Bosch Mobility Solutions
Mobility Solutions is the largest Bosch Group business sector. In 2018, its sales came to 47.6 billion euros, or 61 percent of total group sales. This makes the Bosch Group one of the leading automotive suppliers. The Mobility Solutions business sector pursues a vision of mobility that is accident-free, emissions-free, and fascinating, and combines the group's expertise in the domains of automation, electrification, and connectivity. For its customers, the outcome is integrated mobility solutions. The business sector's main areas of activity are injection technology and powertrain peripherals for internal-combustion engines, diverse solutions for powertrain electrification, vehicle safety systems, driver-assistance and automated functions, technology for user-friendly infotainment as well as vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, repair-shop concepts, and technology and services for the automotive aftermarket. Bosch is synonymous with important automotive innovations, such as electronic engine management, the ESP(R) anti-skid system, and common-rail diesel technology.
About Bosch in Thailand
Bosch´s history in Thailand started in 1923. Bosch has diversified businesses in the country in all four of its business sectors of Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. The company has three manufacturing plants for mobility solutions, a facility for the sales and services of hydraulic equipment and machinery in Rayong. In 2017, Bosch in Thailand generated sales of 13.5 billion baht (353 million euros) and employed nearly 1,500 associates. Additional information is available at www.bosch.co.th and https://www.facebook.com/BoschThailand