For the first half of the century motoring adverts showed a preoccupation with comfort, speed or value. Safety was taboo. Then, in the 1970s, a car company promoted safety as a factor to appeal to families. It worked: sales soared, everyone took note and safety innovations rained down as fast as the car makers could turn market research into metal.
According to Kevin Delaney, Head of Road Safety for the Institute of Advanced Motorists, "by the mid 1960s, the government was finally made to act, as almost 8,000 people a year were dying on Britain's roads, a completely unacceptable casualty rate". The 1967 Ministry of Transport report, Road Safety – A Fresh Approach, introduced compulsory fitting of front seat belts, an MOT test at three years and sent a strong safety message to the industry.
Different regulations
Governments throughout Europe were also bringing in greater safety regulations, but each country differed. Moves towards European harmonisation began with a 1970 EC directive, which gradually replaced national type approvals, but the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe had a different set of regulations. Manufacturers had to gain both sets of type approval in order to sell beyond EC borders and to markets such as Japan for example.
Since 2009, EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval requires consistent safety standards throughout Europe, but even though the regulations are mandatory, there are shortcomings. Agreement from all countries is needed, but that's slow to achieve and inevitably sets a lower standard than the consumer-driven European New Car Assessment Programme (EuroNCAP), whose initial aim was to rate cars according to how well occupants were protected; the better the protection, the more stars. Although the assessments were – and still are – voluntary, the impact was immediate and dramatic, as manufacturers redesigned their cars to maximize ratings. Today, at least four stars are necessary for a new car to make it to the showroom.
Things can still go wrong, as Toyota's recent recalls over sticking accelerator pedals and floor mats and a faulty braking system demonstrated. Losing touch with their suppliers resulted in public shame for the company that gave the world modern quality systems.
However, it was the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in America that called them to account. The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in the UK was inactive. In Britain, and indeed in Europe, there is no agency with the remit or legal power to compel manufacturers to recall faulty cars.
Today, most safety innovation is via electronic systems such as electronic brake force distribution (EBD) and electronic skid control (ESC). Although these increase a car's EuroNCAP rating, it has yet to generate widespread demand for either systems, even though research has demonstrated major safety benefits. However, EC whole vehicle type approval will make ESC mandatory from 2014, thereby increasing the chances of the system achieving its full potential.
Of course, an ultra-safe car is no advantage if it doesn't stay on the road, so tyre design is imperative. Indeed from 2014 the industry will see even tighter standards being introduced.
Automatic tyre pressure monitoring systems, pioneered by Renault among others, have demonstrated an improvement in owner maintenance of tyres and will be mandatory from 2012. Goodyear's James Bailey says the industry is now lobbying for regulation on seasonal tyres. "Having a tyre type appropriate to the conditions is vital," he says. "Regulation on all season or winter tyres will be a major safety improvement."
Electric cars
As we look to the electric car future, safety becomes an issue. In March the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) agreed safety regulations for electric cars. However, electric and hybrid cars operate at high voltages (500V), but even though the cars have been with us for a decade, there currently are no regulations to safeguard against severe electric shock for drivers, garage technicians and emergency crews attending crashes.
When it comes to safety, motorists remain a fickle bunch. They will pay a premium to protect themselves and their passengers but when it comes to other road users they're not so keen. So, for pedestrian protection, emission reduction and other, less marketable developments, regulation is needed to make everyone more philanthropic.
