ADAC, German Transport Ministry win eSafety Awards

Mr Volker Knapp (ADAC) and Mr Wolfgang Hahn (German Ministry) receive distinctions at ceremony in Brussels, 14 November 2007

Brussels, Belgium – Mr Volker Knapp of ADAC and Mr Wolfgang Hahn of German Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs and their respective teams have been honoured as the first recipients of the eSafety Deployment Awards. They received the distinction at the eSafety Forum Implementation Road Maps Working Group’s Deployment Workshop, which took place 14 November 2007 at the Diamant Centre in Brussels. The awards, in the categories of Industry & Technology and Administration & Policy, were presented by ACEA Secretary General Ivan Hodac.

Industry & Technology sector winner: ADAC
German automobile club ADAC is well-known for its recent activities promoting eCall, the pan-European emergency call system. They include a study proving the feasibility of a cross-border eCall system, which was presented during the German Presidency’s eSafety Conference in June 2007 in Berlin. ADAC has also contributed to eCall end user awareness through features in its club magazine and website.

Besides eCall, ADAC has been active in other areas relating to the eSafety initiative, including ESC and Real Time Traffic Information (RTTI). It has also ran tests on other eSafety systems, such as lane departure warning systems and navigation systems, including crash tests.

Mr Volker Knapp serves as ADAC Managing Director – Assistance, Technical and Safety Affairs. At the ceremony, the award was accepted by Dr Bernhard Labudek, Director of International Cooperation.

Administration & Policy sector winner: German Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs
The German Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs actively participates in a number of eSafety Forum Working Groups, such as the Implementation Road Map, Communications and Real Time Traffic and Travel Information Working Groups, as well as being a member of the eSafety Steering Group.

In 2007, the Ministry hosted the successful eSafety Conference in Berlin in June that focused on the development perspectives of eSafety and intelligent mobility. At the event, Germany pledged itself to eCall deployment by signing the eCall Memorandum of Understanding.

The Ministry has also carried out data protection studies to clarify the legal situation of eCall and other eSafety applications.

Mr Wolfgang Hahn is Director General. Mr Roland Niggestich, Head of Division, accepted the award on the Ministry’s behalf.

The eSafety Deployment Awards, to be held on an annual basis, were granted based on nominations received from the eSafety community at large. The Evaluation Committee was chaired by Professor Risto Kulmala of VTT Technical Research Centre, Finland, who is also Co-Chair of the eSafety Forum Implementation Road Maps Working Group.

More information is also available on the eSafety Support website www.esafetysupport.org

About the eSafety Forum
Established in early 2003 by the Commission in close co-operation with the industry, industrial associations and public sector stakeholders, the eSafety Forum is a joint platform involving all road safety stakeholders. Its general objective is to promote and monitor the implementation of the recommendations identified by the eSafety Working Group and to support the development, deployment and use of eSafety systems.