The Minister is a keen and enthusiastic driver and was anxious to get first hand experience of how active safety systems work and to gain an understanding of the potential for saving lives and preventing accidents. Dr Ladyman undertook the standard double lane change manoeuvre with the ESP system on and off. Maintaining control of a car with the technology switched off during this demanding manoeuvre is almost impossible and reflects the effectiveness of this technology and its ability to prevent accidents.

Key Bosch management representatives including UK managing director Hermann Kaess and MotorSport Vision managing director Jonathan Palmer attended the demonstration and presented their company’s approaches to active safety and raising driver awareness and enhancing training.

Currently only 34 percent of new cars registered in the UK are fitted with this advanced active safety technology, this compares with the European average of 39 percent. Whilst premium range cars are almost exclusively fitted with ESP, in the critical small car sector the fitment rate is very low.

Bosch media enquiries:

Chris Wakley/ David Eden
Automotive PR
Tel: 020 7494 8050
Email: cwakley@automotivepr.com / deden@automotivepr.com

Bosch OE enquiries:

Beverley Daniels
Communications Manager
Robert Bosch Limited
Tel: 01895 878155
Email: beverley.daniels@uk.bosch.com

About Bosch

The Bosch Group is the world’s largest provider of automotive technology to all leading vehicle and component manufacturers.

In 2005, the company generated automotive sales of €26 billion and employs 158,000 people in this sector.  The key business areas include: fuel injection technology (diesel & petrol); systems for active and passive vehicle safety (brakes, ABS, traction control, ESP, control units for restraint systems); electrical motors, rotating electrics and products for car multimedia.