Cars in the UK are becoming safer than ever according to the latest data from SMMT and JATO Dynamics with nearly 7 in 10 new cars fitted with at least one self-activating safety system. So what does this mean for the dismantling industry?
On the one hand, with decreasing figures in road accidents, a fall of 10% in five years, is good news but on the other, fewer crashes means fewer vehicles for the industry … or does it?
What about this new collision avoidance technology? It will need to be recycled when it comes to the end of its life so a knowledge of how to go about dismantling these will be necessary.
There are a variety of these technologies which come as standard or as an optional extra including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), which does exactly this, by ‘automatically applying the brakes to avoid or reduce the effects of an impact’; parking assistance, which includes cameras and sensors; adaptive cruise control, which automatically allows the car to alter speed to keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front; and over taking (blind spot) sensors. All of which the dismantler needs to know how to remove them once a vehicle with this technology comes to them.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “Safety is the number one priority for vehicle manufacturers and the pace of technological change is faster than ever before, with driver assistance technologies now available on the majority of vehicles cars. Fully autonomous cars may still be some way off but millions of consumers are already enjoying the benefits of new technology which can only help make our roads safer.”
“Thanks to these innovations and more, road accidents in the UK have fallen by nearly 10% since 2012, and are set to fall further as manufacturers continually strive to develop ever more sophisticated technology to improve safety and the driver experience.”
According to a 2015 report by SMMT and KPMG, connected and self-driving vehicle technology could reduce serious accidents by 25,000 and save 2,500 lives by 2030.
