Opinion
Proactive safety vital to both drivers, automakers
By Seven Mao (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-01-11 08:00
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Visibility and location of control knobs are among the elements that contribute to safe driving. [China Daily] |
A close call not long ago prompted me to a closer scrutiny of proactive safety.
I nearly had a collision when I switched to a different lane because my vision was partially blocked by the windshield frame.
Mishaps or hazardous situations caused by such hidden defects are not rare and attention toward proactive safety is increasing significantly as drivers become more sophisticated about the vehicles they drive.
According to a recently released JD Power China study, "field of vision and driving safety" contributed 13.6 percent toward customers' overall satisfaction in the midsize vehicle segment - it is now the top concern for owners of a midsize vehicle, even more important to them than vehicle exterior design or fuel efficiency.
Passive safety normally refers to airbags, body panels, the thickness of steel used, the vehicle frame and others.
Compared to passive safety, which includes all devices and efforts to help reduce injuries in case of an accident, features to proactively avoid accidents - such as brakes and visibility - should have higher priorities.
Before focusing on reducing injuries in an actual accident, much more attention should be placed on reducing the chances of having an accident in the first place!
Visibility
Visibility is a key component of proactive safety.
A number of features function to equip the driver with an adequate field of vision and ensure driving safety.
For example, the effectiveness of windshield defrosters, windshield wipers and washers is key to ensure driving visibility, while the angle and view in side and rear-view mirrors is important in reducing accidents during lane change.
The effectiveness of sun visors can increase visibility in direct sunlight, and the angle and brightness of headlights is key to ensuring driving visibility at night.
Even features that are considered a convenience factor actually play a vital role to ensure safety:
Easy operation of central console, dashboard items and steering wheel-mounted controls can reduce distractions, while a hands-free communication device can reduce accidents caused by mobile phone operation while driving and the accuracy of the navigation system can avoid accidents caused by unfamiliar road conditions.
Even details such as the misplacement of foot pedals and floor mats can cause auto accidents.
Foot pedals properly placed preclude stepping on the accelerator and brake pedals at the same time, while proper placement of floor mats prevents slipping under the brake pedal and causing malfunction.
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The JD power study indicates that proactive safety features have a large impact on customer satisfaction toward their vehicles and the effectiveness and availability of these features greatly influence customers' purchase decisions.
It is the manufactures' responsibility to provide and continuously improve the proactive safety features to ensure customers a driving safety and to reduce vehicle collisions.
Proactive safety system features can also be leveraged in marketing campaigns as an effective product differentiator from competitors' products.
The JD Powers report - titled 2009 China Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout Study - is based on evaluations by 12,038 new-vehicle owners who purchased a new passenger vehicle between October 2008 and June 2009. The study was fielded between April and August 2009 in 28 major cities across China.
The author is the automotive research manager of JD Power Asia Pacific, Shanghai.
