Regulators can shape Europe’s discourse on enhanced ADAS

An ambitious regulatory environment could make ADAS combined with in-cabin monitoring an inextricable part of European automotive safety. By Will Girling

A March 2023 proposal by the European Commission (EC) set out new plans to change driver permit rules and more heavily sanction offenders within the bloc. The EC has made it clear that improving road safety throughout the EU is a high priority. Despite failing to meet its own target to halve the number of road deaths between 2010 and 2020 (falling short by 14%), the Commission is still pursuing an ambitious zero fatalities by 2050 (‘Vision Zero’) goal.

With this regulatory emphasis, it is not surprising that automotive safety technology is experiencing a surge. In particular, the European advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) market is expected to more than double in value over the next five years—from US$11bn in 2023 to US$28bn in 2028, according to Mordor Intelligence.

“The human factor is the root cause behind 90% of traffic collisions,” states Jose Maria Alvarez, Engineering Director of ADAS at Tier 1 global systems and components supplier Ficosa. “Most incidents can be avoided with a driver warning three seconds in advance.” As such, he considers ADAS and the future of EU vehicle safety to be inextricably linked.