The position paper drafted by the ITS CK:PAP team and EFA has been published on the European Driving Schools Association website. The document includes e.g. recommendations on new methods of driver training in the safe use of driver assistance systems.
According to the analysis by the National Police Headquarters, roughly 40% of all road accident victims in Poland are vulnerable road users (VRU), i.e. pedestrians and cyclists. Their protection has become one of the priorities for action regarding road safety. For this purpose, various activities are carried out aimed not only at human behaviour or the development of modern and safe road infrastructures but also at the development of modern vehicles, including advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
Many tasks that until recently could only be performed by humans are now entrusted to machines. Automation plays an increasingly important role in many areas of life, and its special role is observed in broadly understood transport, affecting the mobility, behaviour, and safety of drivers. Faced with the threat of a large number of accidents, deaths, and injuries, vehicles equipped with driver-assistance systems, the so-called ADAS (advanced driver-assistance system), are a significant support for the driver in reacting to the unexpected situations. The studies conducted so far indicate that the experience of using these systems may increase not only the comfort but most of all the safety of road users. In Poland, such analyses are still a challenge.
The publication adopts the SAE J3016 standard as the one that defines the level of vehicle autonomy. Gradually, the role of the driver, especially in terms of driving, will decrease, and the last 5th degree of automation will be achieved thanks to the complete elimination of the driver. Through the broadly understood research in the field of drivers' tasks (literature, information from enterprises and labor offices, face-to-face interviews), it can be stated that not all of them will be able to implement autonomous vehicles.
Strengthening road safety in the face of the enormous development of the automotive in recent decades is crucial. The safety benefits of automated vehicles are paramount. Automated vehicles have the potential to remove human error in road traffic, which will help protect drivers and passengers, as well as pedestrians and bicyclists. The carried-out forecasts are pioneering for Polish road traffic conditions. In England, studies have been carried out to determine the estimated impact of autonomous vehicles on road safety in simulated traffic conditions on the motorway.