The notion of an intelligent car that can avoid accidents and help you to park may appear to belong firmly in the world of the Hollywood film set. But this futuristic vision could soon become a reality after a decision by the European commission yesterday to allow car manufacturers to employ radar technology in a new generation of vehicles.
The first such cars, expected this summer, will be fitted with radar transmitters beneath the bumpers to the front and back which can detect other vehicles and pedestrians within a 20- to 30-metre radius.
Drivers will be warned that they are in imminent danger of a crash or have failed to see a car in their blind spot by a warning light on the dashboard or a beeping sound. And the smart technology can even help with parallel parking.
Dr Gerhard Rollmann, of DaimlerChrysler - one the manufacturers that campaigned for the move - said: "From our point of view this is a very important decision. Radar is very robust technology which remains effective regardless of environmental conditions such as darkness, rain, snow and fog and can judge precise distances and speeds. It could therefore significantly reduce fatal road accidents."
Yesterday's decision follows three years of legal representations to the commission by a group of car manufacturers and electronics companies including BMW, Ford, Volvo, Audi, DaimlerChrysler and Siemens.
Gerald Oberst, partner at Hogan & Hartson, the legal firm which represented the companies, said the commission had to consider a number of factors, including concerns that the radar might interfere with weather satellites.
He said: "After three years we have demonstrated that this is compatible with other users. The companies I represent believe this is a major step forward because it allows them to start moving this active safety technology into production."
The decision forms part of a commitment by the European commission to reduce road deaths in the European Union by 50% in the next five years. Such deaths numbered 40,000 in 2000. In 2003, 3,508 people died on Britain's roads.
A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said: "Potentially these developments are very useful and will help drivers operate vehicles more safely, but we do need to be sure that there are no drawbacks such as drivers relying too much on the technology and not paying enough attention themselves."
