June 18, 2019—Walter Hagleinter, an adviser on transportation to governments around the globe, claims there are no substantial differences between active and passive vehicle safety systems.
"At this point in time, many countries are just not yet ready for active safety systems on the roads,” Hagleinter says. “In another five years or so it will be obligatory to install active systems in vehicles in Europe, but the required parameters have not yet been addressed by manufacturers."
Active systems, of course, automatically apply the brakes when a danger is identified. Passive systems, in contrast, only warn drivers when they sense an impending danger. This early warning affords drivers time to react and avoid a collision on their own. Therefore, they assist and educate drivers how to drive correctly and cautiously on the roads.
But their reaction time is shorter, since they are activated the moment before the collision. In comparison, passive systems provide a longer reaction time, which allows drivers to prepare themselves accordingly.
Moreover, in the event of a “false positive,” an active system will still apply the brakes, raising the risk of an accident. A passive system will not do that. “For all these reasons, passive systems provide a significant added value,” Hagleitner argues. "Replacing an existing passive system for one an active one will not necessarily yield an additional decrease in the percentage of accidents."
