From July 6th: These systems will now be mandatory in cars – more safety and higher costs
From July 6, 2022, a number of assistance systems will have to be installed in new cars. These systems are.
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These systems are now mandatory in cars – more safety & higher costs.
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As of July 6, 2022, certain assistance systems must be available as standard equipment in newly developed vehicles (type approval). From 2024, the assistance systems mentioned must then be installed in all new cars. Specifically, according to TÜV Nord, these are the following assistance systems.
emergency braking assistant
If the cameras – possibly also radar or lidar sensors, if available – detect a risk of collision with a stationary or moving obstacle (currently this only applies to cars, but in the future pedestrians and cyclists will also be reliably detected), then the emergency brake assistant brakes the vehicle automatically or at least slows down its speed significantly until it collides. The driver can deactivate this assistant manually, but it is automatically switched on again when the vehicle is restarted.
Active Emergency Lane Keeping Assist
This assistant recognizes when the vehicle is unintentionally leaving its lane and then actively countersteers. TÜV Nord emphasizes: “The emergency lane departure warning system switches off automatically if it cannot work reliably, ‘particularly due to deficiencies in the road infrastructure’, according to the text of the regulation. The driver then receives a message in the cockpit. After the vehicle starts, there is an emergency -Lane departure warning system active again.”
speed assistant
It warns when the applicable speed is exceeded. It obtains its data for the applicable speed limit from traffic sign recognition and from position data. The system is activated when the ignition is switched on, but the driver can switch it off manually.
Emergency brake light/adaptive brake light
During normal braking, the brake lights come on as usual. However, in the event of emergency braking – i.e. braking with a deceleration of more than 6 m/s and a speed of more than 50 km/h – the brake lights flash several times per second and thus warn the road users behind the braking vehicle. The emergency brake light also switches on as long as the ABS system is in control. If the vehicle is stationary after such an emergency stop, the hazard warning lights switch on and the brake light lights up continuously.
The emergency brake light gets its triggering data from control units, pedal pressure, confirmation speed of the brake pedal, ESP and ABS interventions and the speed of the vehicle. In addition, the tire static friction is determined, as TÜV Nord writes.
Accident data storage/event-related data recording/black box
This system stores data (speed, braking, position, incline, eCall data) immediately before, during and after a collision. This data is anonymized to protect privacy and may be made available to national authorities for accident research purposes. The driver cannot deactivate the accident data recorder.
Fatigue and attention warning
The system is designed to prevent dangerous microsleep. For this purpose, a camera continuously records the eye and lid movements. In addition or as a substitute, the steering movements can be evaluated. If the system recognizes signs of tiredness, it reminds the driver acoustically and visually to take a break.
reversing assistant
The assistant detects pedestrians or obstacles behind the vehicle and warns the driver when the car is reversing. The system evaluates ultrasonic sensors and cameras for this purpose.
tire pressure monitoring
Tire pressure monitoring systems have been mandatory in newly registered passenger cars since 2014. From 2022, however, commercial vehicles, trucks and buses will also have to be equipped with them, as will large truck trailers.
Device for installing an alcohol-sensitive immobilizer
All new cars must have a standardized interface that allows an alcohol-sensitive immobilizer to be retrofitted. The control device (e.g. a breath alcohol device) itself still has to
Not
be installed.
Consequences for the vehicle owner
The systems described above have often been installed in many vehicles, especially those in the upper price range, for years. In any case, such assistants have long been available for an extra charge. The assistance systems should prevent or at least reduce accidents or enable their reconstruction. This is undisputedly desirable in order to be able to further reduce the number of traffic fatalities.
However, this results in additional costs for the vehicle owner. Not only because the car manufacturers probably use the systems mentioned as an opportunity to raise the price of new cars. But above all in the long term when it comes to maintenance: because every technology built into a car breaks down at some point and then has to be replaced. And it has to be replaced simply because the functionality of the assistance systems is checked every two years during the TÜV inspection. If it then turns out that the components of a driver assistance system are defective – for example a camera or a sensor – then an expensive repair is required in order to still get the coveted TÜV sticker.
On top of that, of course, you need to keep all sensors like cameras, ultrasound, and radar/lidar clean and free of dirt, snow, or ice for them to work. Incidentally, all the safety technology is making cars heavier and heavier.
