MUNICH, Germany — Besides tire pressure monitors, a number of other safety-related devices will become mandatory over the next few years. Technologies involved include gyros, radar, and pattern recognition.

According to tier ones, a recent resolution of the European Parliament rules that besides tire pressure monitoring systems (as reported) also rules that new vehicles will have to be equipped with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) which also is referred to as Electronic Stability Program (ESP). In addition, trucks will have to be equipped with an Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) and Lane Departure Warning System (LDW).

ESC, or ESP, compares the movement of every single wheel with the direction in which the car moves, using electronic gyroscopes. If the direction of the moves shows diverging results, indicating skidding conditions, the system decelerates each single wheel individually and reduces the engine power in order to get the vehicle back under control.

ESC will be mandatory for new car types from November 2011, for new cars from November 2014. Studies in the U.S. where ESP also will be mandatory from September 2011 have shown that in the US alone, more than 10.00 lives annually can be saved by the deployment of this technology. Experts regard ESC as the most important automotive safety technology after the safety belt, said Ralf Cramer, who oversees the Chassis and Safety Division for automotive tier one Continental AG.

The rule probably will boost the market for such systems: According to Cramer, currently in the USA less than 60 percent of the cars are equipped with an ESC. In Europe only 50 percent of the cars are equipped with the system; in Japan it is even "far less", he said.

Another intelligent assistant for that will become mandatory is the Emergency Brake Assist (EBA). Based on short-range radar distance measurement, the system computes the speed at which the distance diminishes and reduces the speed of the car. If necessary it even will trigger an emergency brake application and stops the car.

The Lane Departure Warning System uses informations acquired by a video camera mounted at the front side of the car. The data acquired are processed in a computer, using pattern recognition algorithms. The system recognizes optical elements such as center lines and side lines, and issues an acoustical, optical or haptic warning signal if the driver inadvertently crosses one of these lines.

Both EBA and Lane Departure Waning systems will be mandatory for trucks, the EP has ruled. New vehicle types will have to be equipped with the systems beginning November 2013; new vehicles admitted for road traffic will need them beginning November 2015.