Major changes announced for new cars sold in Ireland | WLRFM.com

A new EU regulation that aims to cut road deaths and serious injuries on the roads is currently being rolled out. Since Sunday last, new cars sold here must come equipped with the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems.

The ADAS in new vehicles will be able to detect speeding tiredness and alcohol intake. Waterford-based driving instructor, Kieran Kennedy spoke to WLR saying the new technology will only target certain drivers on our roads.

“I welcome everything, but it’s not going to help in the immediate future. It’s coming into cars anyway, so it’s a bit of a blow-your-own trumpet over something that’s coming anyway.

“I think four years on a desk somewhere in the Road Safety Authority office is a report saying what they need to do to educate young tractor drivers, and it’s sitting there because it’s not politically correct to implement it, especially with an election. You need to put road safety first, not politics.”

According to the RSA, the new system will be a suite of safety measures aimed at curtailing deaths on our roads.

‘The regulation covers the introduction of a wide range of technologies, including drowsiness detection, blind spot information systems, advanced emergency braking, alcohol interlock installation facilitation and intelligent speed assistance.

‘The technology is expected to help drivers keep within the speed limit by issuing an audible warning or vibrating alert when the driver exceeds the limit or when the speed limit changes. It operates using a front-facing camera that reads speed limit signs. This data can be combined with GPS mapping in the vehicle’s software, enabling the car to know the current speed limits along its route.

‘Advanced emergency braking is a system that monitors the road ahead, alerting the driver if a potential collision is about to occur. The system automatically applies the brakes if the driver fails to brake in an emergency. An alcohol interlock interface allows the installation of aftermarket breathalysers on newly manufactured vehicles. Where aftermarket devices are fitted, the driver must pass a breath alcohol content test to enable the vehicle to start.’

Local opinion

Waterford driving instructor Kieran Kennedy continued by saying the measure is welcomed, but more can be done in the immediate future, as it will take decades before the majority of the population will have a car with the new system.

“ I called for this back when I used to be on with Billy McCarthy on Déise Today,  that they need to get the in-car technology up and running. This won’t help kids going around in their 2014-15 cars.

“They need to introduce something like limiters or beepers in the car that let you know you’re speeding because a lot of speeding isn’t deliberate, it’s accidental.”

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