The Emergency Brake Assist is now mandatory

An interesting piece of news from Motorpasion about a system that many people are not familiar with. Most of us know the ABS and have an idea of what it does, but when it comes to Emergency Brake Assist (EBA, BAS, AFU, etc.; the acronyms vary from brand to brand), not everyone realises how important it is for our safety.

Since 1 July 2004, ABS has been compulsory on all passenger cars in the European Union. That system was very important in an emergency stop, and making it mandatory was a very positive step. However, a later study revealed that many drivers were not making use of the car’s full braking force, because when they felt the pedal vibrate (which is normal when ABS kicks in) they released or eased the pressure on the brake pedal. This is where Emergency Brake Assist comes into its own.

Broadly speaking, this device detects when a braking manoeuvre is an emergency (from the pressure applied to the pedal and the sudden press of the brake) and automatically applies maximum braking force, even if we ease off the pedal slightly. In this way, in an emergency stop the car’s full braking capacity is used. On some vehicles, when the emergency brake assist is activated, the hazard lights also come on automatically, and if the brake pedal is released completely, the assist stops operating.

It therefore makes sense that it should become compulsory on all vehicles in the EU, since, ever since ABS became mandatory, not everyone has been getting the most out of their car’s braking capacity, and according to the EU itself, it is estimated to prevent 1,100 fatal accidents across Europe. Step by step, and thanks to the EU’s work, features that logically should be mandatory in every case are being introduced. Alongside ABS, the driver’s airbag and now Emergency Brake Assist, ESP, another very important safety element in a car, will also become mandatory in the short term.

Source | Motorpasion.com
More information | The BAS, as an example of the need to understand at least the basic workings of a car (Circula Seguro)