Articles - A new perspective around the motorhome
Is there an obstacle behind the vehicle? What about pedestrians and cyclists? Reversing maneuvers and, in general, the driver's orientation may be particularly difficult when driving cars with limited visibility, e.g.
According to research conducted in Australia, nearly 80% of drivers feel some kind of stress or discomfort behind the wheel. What's to blame? Almost 60% of respondents pointed to parallel parking. Drivers most often worry that during the maneuver they will stop traffic too much or scratch the car standing next to them.
Recalling the results of research carried out in a country where caravanning has been an accepted way of life for years makes sense because in classic motorhomes the rule is the lack of a rear-view mirror. Zero rearward visibility is one hindrance. A typical camping structure is a wall without a window, and a bicycle rack, for example, is attached to it.
Security
This term is very often used in the context of cars. The solutions available on the market to assist the driver while parking are commonly associated with passenger cars parking sensors and reversing cameras. A simple but effective technology that most of today's cars are already equipped with. Appropriate comment here.
- In the report on road accidents in Poland in 2020 prepared by the Road Traffic Office of the General Police Headquarters, incorrect reversing was recognized as the cause of 331 accidents in which 330 people were injured. This is the third most common cause of pedestrians being hit by the driver, points out Hubert Kowieski - Deputy Head of the Vehicle Testing Laboratory in Łukasiewicz - PIMOT.
Do you have a motorhome? You must have a long tail
Reversing cameras or distance sensors supporting parking are to support the driver and minimize road incidents related to incorrect reversing.
- They are becoming more and more standard car equipment. Blind spot monitoring systems are also becoming more and more common. Certainly, legislators see the improvement in safety associated with the use of devices to assist the driver when reversing and warning about a possible collision when moving off, which is why it was decided to introduce them as mandatory equipment for vehicles - continues the specialist from the research laboratory.
The new regulations are intended to improve orientation in terms of the proximity of unprotected obstacles and other road users. We are talking about two UN regulations, the implementation of which in newly type-approved vehicles is to serve to expand the field of vision. And of course minimizing the effects of road accidents.
What are we talking about?
About new guidelines for vehicle manufacturers. Regulation No 158 concerns the approval of reversing aids and motor vehicles with regard to the orientation of the driver with regard to the presence of vulnerable road users at the rear of the vehicle. It means increasing the requirements for M and N category vehicles (colloquially: from passenger cars, through vans and buses, to trucks), as well as with regard to the system of informing about the presence of pedestrians and cyclists when moving off. Well, UN Regulation 159 applies to vehicles of categories M2, M3, N2 and N3, i.e. buses or heavier vans and trucks. In these vehicles, the risk of hitting a pedestrian or cyclist while moving off is definitely higher than in the case of passenger cars.
M2 are vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of passengers, having more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat and having a maximum laden mass not exceeding 5 tonnes; category M3 are vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of passengers, having more than eight seats in addition to the driver's seat and having a maximum laden mass exceeding 5 tonnes.
Terms 158 and 159
Both new regulations of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) entered into force on June 10, 2021. Their application was mandated from July 6, 2022. This is a significant change for motorhome manufacturers.
UN/ECE Regulation No 158 lays down uniform provisions for the approval of reversing aids and motor vehicles with regard to the orientation of the driver with regard to the presence of vulnerable road users in the rear of the vehicle [2021/828]. The main purpose of the close-range rear-view mirrors and reversing cameras is to ensure visibility to the rear of the vehicle between 0.3 m and 3.5 m behind the vehicle in a width corresponding to the width of the vehicle.
- Reversing cameras used for this purpose and distance sensors are additionally required to meet the requirements in the field of electromagnetic compatibility - continues Hubert Kowieski from the Vehicle Testing Laboratory in Łukasiewicz - PIMOT.
- Body builders or manufacturers of indirect vision devices can obtain from Łukasiewicz – PIMOT confirmation of meeting the technical requirements necessary in the type approval process.
This is important because Regulation 158 specifies the conditions under which the reversing assist system should remain active, i.e. from the moment the reverse gear is engaged, until a speed of 16 km/h is reached, or a distance of 10 meters is covered, or the time of operation up to 10 seconds, or disengage reverse gear.
In turn, Regulation 159 defines the conditions under which the information signal is to warn the driver of the impending risk of collision. This signal must be given to the driver in the form of an optical information signal noticeable and easily verifiable by the driver from his seat.
July 6, 2022 - what will change?
It is worth reiterating that the provisions in question concern the approval of vehicles, i.e. the process of allowing new cars to be sold. Procedures under which the manufacturer obtains all the required EC/EU type-approval certificates - in this case for items of equipment under Reg. 158 and 159. And that means…
- Owners or users of already registered cars have nothing to worry about. But on this occasion, it is worth considering the visibility of the space behind the vehicle from the driver's seat when reversing or in front of the vehicle when moving forward. Perhaps it is worth to equip the car with a reversing camera, distance sensors or an additional mirror, or set them appropriately so that they cover a sufficiently large area or warn the driver of the risk of a collision - notes our interlocutor.
Expected impact of the new guidelines for manufacturers
The European Commission has estimated that the introduction of new regulations for vehicle manufacturers will save the lives of 860 people a year, and nearly 10,000 in the case of serious bodily injuries. people across the European Union.
Can we expect that there will now be an increased demand on the aftermarket for the installation of camera-monitor devices or other solutions that "enlarge" the field of view? Well, the offer of aftermarket solutions is considerable, so that each motorhome guarantees the driver uninterrupted observation of the immediate surroundings of the vehicle. What's more, solutions of this type are not cheap.
Photo. R. Dobrowolski and materials from: FCA Italy S.p.A., Dometic, PIMOT
