Intelligent Car Initiative

The Intelligent Car Initiative was a policy framework set up by the European Commission to tie up all activities relating to 'intelligent' automobiles. The term covered all vehicles that are equipped with modern information and communication technologies (ICT) to increase road safety and/or the flow of traffic, or to reduce the environmental impact of road transport. A well-established and widely known 'intelligent' device would be the anti-lock braking system ABS, which prevents the wheels from locking while braking and thus enables the driver keeping the car under control. An example for a more recent system would be the electronic brake assistance which helps the driver brake effectively or even brakes the car on its own if a collision is imminent and there is no driver reaction at all.