NICOLE GEISSLER, EXTERNAL COMMUNICTIONS, CONTINENTAL
The eSafety campaign fits perfectly into Continental´s safety story. Continental regards “Safety for Everyone” as a vital and decisive step on the road towards “Vision Zero”. (Vision Zero describes circumstances in which road users are so well-protected that no deaths or serious injuries occur.) The Continental Chassis & Safety Division is exceptionally well placed in this sector and is the market leader in many product groups. New approaches to brake design, assistance for drivers in complex traffic situations, precautionary protection in critical situations and reducing the potential consequences of an accident are not matters just for specific vehicle categories. To us, ‘Safety for Everyone’ means working hard towards being able to make these new technologies available for all vehicles and in all markets. Continental wants to provide safe and intelligent mobility for everyone, no matter where they live and work. In view of globally available technologies, safety is non-negotiable!
Legislation and globally agreed traffic safety targets encourage the rate at which these technologies are being installed.
For Continental safety is a communications task. More than ever before, we need to inform end users and explain to them the purpose and the benefits of safety technologies. It is also crucial that we reach decision-makers like politicians (goal: reduce fatalities), consumer ratings (goal: increase vehicle safety and thus reduce fatalities), insurance companies (goal: reduce claims and costs) and fleet managers (goal: social responsibility towards their employees) with their different interests need to be increasingly made aware of the existing safety technologies. This is an additional task for the automotive industry and its suppliers that goes far beyond merely developing the technologies. eSafety Challenge is the perfect platform for our safety technologies and messages. There´s no better way to learn how they can support you during driving – you need to drive and to experience the benefits.
Products will find their way into vehicles through the additional gain in safety that they provide. One thing, however, must not be forgotten: there are also economic factors to safety. Data from the field is already showing the first signs of success. We see driver assistance systems and motorcycle ABS as key technologies when talking about increasing driving safety. The number of products manufactured is the driving force: a next stage technology should not only be seen from a functional point of view, but a decisive element is the marketing of the product into all vehicle classes, bringing safety to the masses.
|
