1) Up until now most drivers have managed without active safety and driver assistance systems –why is so much technology needed and doesn't it take all the fun out of driving?

Does the statistic of 39,000 people killed on Europe's roads in 2008 suggest that we don't need safety technologies in today's traffic?

Safety is not an objective concept – we may feel safe; but that doesn't mean we really are. When we're on the road, we are not alone; we have a responsibility not just towards ourselves and our passengers but also to other road users. Have most drivers coped perfectly well without active safety and driver assistance systems to date? Driver errors were found to be the cause of over 90 percent of all accidents involving personal injuries in Germany in 2008 (German Federal Statistical Office). In other words, if the drivers involved had been supported by an 'assistant', the accidents (some of which had serious consequences) might have been prevented. Because a car fitted with active safety and driver assistance systems compensates for driver inattention; it alerts him and lets him know when he makes mistakes. More than 70 percent of all serious accidents could be avoided by modern advanced driver assistance systems, according to the German Federal Highway Research Institute (BAST) (November 2007). The purpose of the safety system is to look after the driver - and not the other way around.

2) Why are active safety and advanced driver assistance systems mostly found in premium class vehicles and when will they be fitted in compact models?

Some active safety and advanced driver assistance systems such as Blind Spot Detection and Emergency Brake Assist have already found their way into medium and compact models. Continental already supplies scalable systems which provide an extensive range of functionality to satisfy premium class demands and which make it possible, using the same platform, to offer selected functions within an appropriate cost structure for compact models.

It is also a question of explaining the benefits of advanced driver assistance systems to the end customers so that they ask their dealers for them. The technologies are already available. The time is ripe for advanced driver assistance systems in compact models.

3) Are older drivers really able to handle these highly technical active safety and driver assistance systems?

Advanced driver assistance systems are recommended for drivers of all ages. An essential feature of any high-tech system should be excellent user-friendliness. Driver assistance systems operate in the background, only intervening to warn of a driving error or to trigger a rapid counter-reaction.

Of course, the over 60s benefit from this, particularly since electronic aids such as Emergency Brake Assist will significantly shorten the vehicle's stopping distance even if the driver's reflex time has slowed down. Blind Spot Detection is also extremely popular among older road users.

4) Aren't vehicles fitted with active safety and driver assistance systems more likely to need repairing because of all the electronics onboard?

No. By preventing accidents and slight damage (like minor rear-end collisions in slow-moving traffic), the electronics ultimately avoid the need for repairs.  Driver assistance systems can handle most accident situations. For example, 22.2 percent of all accidents in Germany are due to collisions with another vehicle which is either moving, queuing, starting off, braking or parking. There is great potential for emergency braking assistance here.

What's more, the regulations governing the development of vehicle electronics are much stricter now than they were. The automotive industry recognized this as a problem early on and has now effectively solved it. The key to success was setting higher development and manufacturing standards. Driver assistance is now building on this past experience.

5) Is it true that drivers who rely on their active safety and driver assistance systems pay less attention to the traffic because they feel secure, cradled within their safety bubble?

Driver assistance systems in no way relieve drivers of their responsibility, both towards themselves and others, to concentrate fully while driving.

Assistance functions designed to increase safety, ESC for example, work in the background and only intervene in the event of a risky driving maneuver. The large numbers of ESC systems currently installed have already demonstrated that a substantial number of serious accidents can be prevented. If it were true that driver assistance systems were relieving drivers of their responsibilities, then it would not be possible to explain the latest trend which is towards considerably safer roads. The typical driver benefits subconsciously from the additional element of safety and does not rely on it. After driving just a few kilometers with these systems, you will realize that, if you drive positively and stay fully alert, the 'electronic co-drivers' remain unobtrusive.