By 2005, European cars fitted with radar warning systems could be peering through fog, rain and snow to avoid hazards before the driver could hope to spot them.

Road accidents cost European countries an estimated £60bn a year, and the European commission wants to halve road deaths by 2010.

About 68% of all accidents can be traced to drivers' inattention, a problem which could be solved by an initiative from engineers at DaimlerChrysler and other research teams to use short-range radar to save lives.

Radar "sees" by day or night, and in any kind of weather. It can detect lorries at 30 metres, cyclists and pedestrians at 10 metres.

The latest generation of cars is already equipped with radar-assisted "intelligent" cruise control systems. But, say Gerhard Rollmann and Volker Schmid, two Daimler engineers in Stuttgart, a couple of 24GHz short-range radar sensors fitted to cars could sense an imminent crash, adjust safety belts, help the driver change lanes, and bring the car to a screeching stop. It would act as a "virtual safety belt" - and it might even help with tricky parking as well.

It takes about half a second for a motorist to react to danger and slam on the brakes. Radar, however, can identify a problem in about 50 thousandths of a second.

The system, which is called Sara (short-range automotive radar allocation) needs EU nations, and their telecommunications agencies, to agree on wavelengths which would work on the open road. With that, Sara could be in the salesrooms by 2005.

"We are reluctant to issue promises," Dr Rollmann said, "but we are hoping that more than 80% of accidents could be addressed by this system."