FIA World Prize 2007 awarded to eSafetyAware! partner Bosch

The FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) Academy has awarded its annual World Prize for Road Safety, the Environment and Mobility to German technology group Bosch for its outstanding contribution to the promotion of road safety. The award is given for exceptional merit or endeavour by individuals or organisations involved in motoring and mobility.  The FIA Academy, which is made up of eight senior members of the FIA and its national automobile clubs, gave the award to Bosch primarily for its work in the ChooseESC! campaign.

The silver and crystal trophy was presented to Bosch Chairman Franz Fehrenbach in a VIP pre-awards ceremony at the FIA Gala in the Monaco Sporting Club, in the presence of His Serene Highness Prince Albert of Monaco.

Franz Fehrenbach, Chairman of the Board of Management of Robert Bosch GmbH said: “The ESC safety system is a very real testament to how vehicle technologies can contribute to make roads safer and mobility sustainable. I am convinced that this is our responsibility as a leading supplier to the automotive industry."

Max Mosley, FIA president said: “Bosch has played a pivotal role in the development and promotion of the most effective car safety system since the invention of the safety belt.”

International accident studies demonstrate that at least 40 percent of all fatal traffic accidents are caused by skidding. Around 80 percent of all skidding accidents could be prevented with ESC. This year, a socio-economic study by the University of Cologne showed that 4,000 traffic deaths and 100,000 injuries could be prevented in Europe alone if ESC were installed in all vehicles. The U.S. road traffic agency NHTSA estimates that 10,000 traffic deaths on American roads could be prevented with ESC. Bosch developed the active safety system and was the first company to put it on the market in 1995.

In 2006, 26 percent of all new vehicles produced worldwide were equipped with ESC. In the first half of 2007, the share of all newly registered cars in Europe was 47 percent. In the U.S., legislation was passed in 2007 making ESC mandatory standard equipment for all passenger cars from model year 2012. And the EU Commission has also announced its intention to mandate installation of the anti-skid system from 2011.

The NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) organizations around the world also recommend the use of ESC. For example, since 2005 the European NCAP has recommended that car buyers only buy vehicles with ESC. The NCAP association of Australasia (ANCAP) has gone one step further, and announced that only vehicles with ESC will be given five stars from 2008 on.