BeSafety Forum «Saving Lives Awards» : Commissioner Viviane Reding today awarded three of the most outstanding achievements in promoting eSafety systems in Europe

Brussels, 5th November 2008

At the 2008 award ceremony of eSafety Forum's "Saving Lives Awards", Ms. Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for the Information Society and Media, today rewarded personalities and organisations having made outstanding contributions to accelerating the deployment of road safety systems based on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The laureates' activities have substantially improved road safety in Europe and supported the Commission's objective for 2010 to reduce by 50% the number of road fatalities on Europe's roads.

For 2008, the award winners were selected from the three categories of road safety stakeholders: Industry & Technology, Policy & Administration, and Lifetime Achievement.

The 2008 Industry & Technology award was presented to Robert BOSCH GmbH.

BOSCH is well-known for their efforts to make cars safer and for their outstanding achievements, based on a focused marketing and communication strategy, to accelerate the deployment in the European market of eSafety technology ESC (Electronic Stability Control). Through the development and use of dedicated ESC marketing tools, Bosch has increased awareness and knowledge about ESC. The ESC installation rate in newly registered cars in Europe went up by 50% in 2007. Research in major European markets shows that consumer awareness of ESC's benefits, as a life-saving technology, increased from 39% in 2004 to 54% in 2006. Consumer awareness partly translates into consumer demand and thus into increased road safety. In May 2007, the University of Cologne published a cost-benefit analysis of ESC that confirmed that every year 4 000 lives could be saved and 100 000 injuries could be avoided in Europe, if all cars were equipped with ESC.

On behalf of BOSCH, the award was received by Mr. Bernd Bohr, member of the Board of Management of Robert BOSCH GmbH. In his words of thanks Mr. Bohr stated: "ESC is a prime example of how safety technologies can help and support drivers in critical driving situations. But the invention of a life-saving technology alone is only the first step. Greater awareness among car buyers to understand the benefits of safety technologies is paramount to make an informed choice."

The 2008 Policy & Administration award was presented to the Swedish Road Administration (SRA).

The Swedish Road Administration was rewarded for its innovative and effective initiatives contributing in different ways to the deployment of eSafety systems in Sweden. One of the Swedish Road Administration's most remarkable achievements was that ESC, Electronic Stability Control, is now in almost all new cars sold in Sweden. This success was based on an excellent multi-stage awareness campaign creating full customer understanding and demand for this life saving device.
The approach used in Sweden started with two scientific studies that included Swedish accident data, active liaison with the industry to install ESC in all new cars in Sweden, and setting a good example by equipping all vehicles used by the Swedish government and administration with ESC. Today, 97% of all new cars sold in Sweden have an ESC system, an unmatched success.
The prize was received by Mr. Anders Lie, who, together with Professor Claes Tingvall, made a distinguished personal contribution to accelerating the deployment of eSafety systems by promoting the inclusion of such systems in the EuroNCAP rating.
"The inclusion of active safety devices in the EuroNCAP rating system will give a major push for the market penetration of this device and SRA will continue to drive the development of other effective systems", commented Mr. Lie.

The 2008 Lifetime Achievement award was presented to Dr. Gerhard Rollmann, Chairman of the Strategic Automotive Radar Frequency Allocation Group (SARA). Dr. Rollmann has shown full commitment in promoting road safety throughout his professional career. His remarkable work in sensor and radar technology, e.g. his active engagement in the development of the new ultra wide band short range radar technology as the basis for safety applications, were of utmost importance for the eSafety initiative. Since becoming founder and chairman of the Strategic Automotive Radar Frequency Allocation Group (SARA) in 2001, his work has been fully dedicated to supporting the international frequency allocation process for automotive radar worldwide.
"Automotive Radar is a basic technology for many automotive applications, not only for comfort but most importantly for collision mitigation and active safety applications. Radar is a key contributor to the Community's goal of reducing road fatalities", highlighted Dr. Rollmann.

In her speech, Ms. Viviane Reding, the EU Commissioner responsible for the Information Society and Media said: "Thanks to your hard work, we managed to demonstrate that ICT has a key role to play in preventing accidents and reducing fatalities in road transport. ICT will also improve energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions across the entire transport sector."

Ms. Zita Gurmai, Member of the European Parliament, raised the issue of the eCall system as an important example for an ICT based technology which would significantly reduce road fatalities in the future. "Our most important task and responsibility is saving lives and therefore the EU Parliament wants the eCall to become reality for the benefits of people", said Ms Gurmai. She also pointed out that these systems would help reduce congestion and alleviate environmental problems.

In his brief intervention Mr. Hermann Meyer, CEO of ERTICO - ITS Europe, stressed the industry's engagement to promote eSafety systems and the importance to move from research to deployment of such systems. "Industry is committed to the implementation of effective, intelligent transport technologies and services to improve mobility, save lives and protect the environment. All stakeholders need to cooperate to achieve the best outcome fast", affirmed Mr. Meyer.

Commissioner Reding expressed her gratitude to all relevant stakeholders at national and European level, for their support in finding feasible and sustainable solutions for the implementations of life-saving technologies. She committed to continue putting the same effort into removing the barriers for future eSafety systems' deployment activities. "eSafety systems make your vehicles smarter, safer and greener than ever", concluded Ms. Reding.

For further information please contact:
Alina Cornea
Communications Officer
Direct Tel: +32 (0)2 400 07 27
Mobile: +32 (0) 473 660 558
Email: a.cornea@esafetysupport.org

Notes to editor:
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Established in early 2003 by the Commission and the industry, the eSafety Forum is a joint platform for the promotion of intelligent vehicle safety systems. It involves all road safety stakeholders. For more information please visit: http://www.esafetysupport.org/en/esafety_activities/esafety_forum/

eCall - the pan-European in-vehicle emergency call is a high priority of the European Commission. The use of in-vehicle emergency call (eCall) will inform rescue centres about the exact whereabouts of an accident. This will speed up emergency assistance and thus save lives and reduce the social burden of road accidents. For more information, please visit: http://www.esafetysupport.org/en/ecall_toolbox

Robert BOSCH GmbH
http://www.bosch.com/

Swedish Road Administration (SRA) is the national authority assigned the overall responsibility for the entire Swedish road transport system. For more information please visit: http://www.vv.se

Strategic Automotive Radar Frequency Allocation Group (SARA) was formed in 2001 and works for the worldwide frequency allocation for automotive radar including the development of technology standards. For more information please visit: http://www.sara-group.org/

The Commission-funded eSafety Support project actively assists eSafety stakeholders in their efforts to increase public awareness of the enormous impact eSafety systems can have on road safety. For further information about eSafety Support and the eSafety initiative, please visit: http://www.esafetysupport.org

eSafety Support Office
The Blue Tower, 2nd Floor
Avenue Louise, 326
B-1050 Brussels - Belgium

Tel. +32 (0)2 400 07 18
Fax  +32 (0)2 400 07 01
info@esafetysupport.org
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