In addition to environmental issues, another major R&D mission emphasized by the automobile industry today is the improvement of vehicle safety. Both traffic accidents and related deaths have been on the rise in Japan for the past ten years and in 2001, the number of traffic-related injuries reached 1,189,702, setting a record for the second year in a row. On the other hand, the number of traffic-related deaths has shown a steady decrease.¹ This is in part due to safety measures implemented by federal and local governments, the rising rate of seatbelt use, and increased prevalence of such safety devices as airbags. In addition, application of such safety-related technologies as impact-absorbing car bodies and reinforced cabins has yielded positive results.

*1 Source: Materials published by the National Police Agency, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Japan
http://www.mlit.go.jp/jidosha/anzen/shou/index01_1.html
http://www.npa.go.jp/toukei/koutuu1/shisha.htm

In recent years, in addition to the ‘passive safety’ technology mentioned above that strives to minimize the danger of a collision, more and more applications have emerged for ‘active safety’ technology designed to warn the driver of potential dangers, thereby preventing accidents.
In the field of brakes, all new vehicles already use antilock braking systems (ABS), but a new technology, called brake assist, interprets a quick, hard push on the brake pedal as emergency braking and supplements the braking power if the driver has not pushed hard enough to bring the vehicle to a quick stop. In addition, stability control systems independently control the brakes of each of the four wheels as well as the engine when the vehicle makes a sharp turn, helping to prevent lateral skidding. In recent years, there has also been a steady shift away from hydraulic power steering systems to electric-powered systems that allow more precise steering control. The ‘Four Wheel System’ (4WS) achieves more stable cornering by controlling the angle of both front and rear wheels and 'active suspension' controls the position of the chassis when cornering and reduces front-to-rear vibration when braking.

On recent models, radar devices and sensors alert the driver if the vehicle strays from its lane and decreases speed automatically when the distance between cars becomes too short. Development and application of these and other systems that assist the driver and reduce the danger of human error are also under way.²
Electronics technology, including a variety of sensors and computerized control devices, plays a major role in automobile safety technology. In addition, integral mechanisms for hybrid and fuel — cell-powered next-generation cars including steering, accelerators, and brakes are expected to rely more and more on electronics (drive-by-wire) technology.