Skip to main content

Improving vehicle safety in Latin America

Stop the Crash hosted its Latin America Launch recently in Santiago de Chile. This is bringing the global partnership to the region to promote the latest in life saving crash avoidance technologies. Following the global launch of Stop the Crash at the 2nd Global High Level Conference on Road Safety in Brasilia in November 2015, the partnership has been holding a series of events across the globe. These are promoting the importance of active safety systems. The Latin American launch specifically focused on t
June 15, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Stop the Crash hosted its Latin America Launch recently in Santiago de Chile. This is bringing the global partnership to the region to promote the latest in life saving crash avoidance technologies. Following the global launch of Stop the Crash at the 2nd Global High Level Conference on Road Safety in Brasilia in November 2015, the partnership has been holding a series of events across the globe. These are promoting the importance of active safety systems. The Latin American launch specifically focused on the implementation of Stop the Crash technologies in the region. It took place with support from the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Chilean Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications. The event featured demonstrations of electronic stability control (ESC), autonomous emergency braking (AEB), anti-lock braking system (ABS) for motorcycles, and tyre safety.

The campaign recently hit a significant milestone with the adoption of a United Nations (UN) Resolution that specifically invited member states to adopt active safety systems as standard. Following the vehicle demonstrations at Stop the Crash, Global New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) in partnership with ECLAC hosted a Regional High Level Road Safety Seminar on Vehicle Safety. This featured representatives from ECLAC, Automobile Club of Chile (ACCHI), and the FIA Foundation. David Ward, Global NCAP Secretary General and Stop the Crash Partnership Chairman said, “Technologies such as ESC have the potential to save thousands of lives every year in Latin America. Government need to implement UN Vehicle Safety Regulations and get these technologies into new cars sold in the region as soon as possible.”

There is major concern that auto manufacturers are still selling models in Latin America that do not feature the latest safety systems fitted to vehicles sold in the US or Europe. Some firms also persist in selling old models in Latin America that have long since been removed from sale in the US or Europe, and which have poor crash protection performance.

Related Content

  • Make the case for electronic tolling, ASECAP conference delegates heard
    September 14, 2015
    Mobility pricing and electronic tolling is the future, delegates to a recent ASECAP Study Days conference, reports Geoff Hadwick at the Lisbon event. The international road tolling industry is failing to make its case and the sector is losing out to other social and political lobby groups. As a result, “tolling is still on the sidelines”, according to the head of the Washington-based International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association. IBTTA chief executive Pat Jones issued his stark warning at the
  • Improving truck parking security and quality
    February 8, 2012
    The innovative LABEL project lays the foundations for reducing cargo theft and promoting greater transport security on Europe's road networks. In Europe, cargo theft is a criminal phenomenon that has an important economic impact. Research has put the total loss caused at approximately €8.2 billion yearly. The calculation includes costs such as the re-production and the re-packaging and resending of the stolen goods. According to data from the International Road Transport Union (IRU), one out of six drivers
  • Road safety has improved worldwide
    January 5, 2024
    Road safety has improved worldwide but still falls short of targets.
  • Driver distraction poses safety challenge
    June 5, 2015
    The modern automobile offers massive gains in safety over earlier generation vehicles. Occupant protection levels have been improved due to crash testing regimes that have ensured vehicles will not collapse catastrophically in the event of an impact. Braking systems are more effective and reliable, with ABS preventing skidding in wet weather conditions. The prospect of autonomous vehicles in the near future offer further safety gains to come. But right now, there is a problem. Too much technology is bein