Press Release

Overview of the Outcomes of the 27th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (27th ESV 2023)
- Six Japanese honored by the United States Government - The Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology becomes the first team in Japan to win the Student Safety Technology Design Competition

2023/04/21

  TOYODA Toshiro, State Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, delivered opening remarks at the 27th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV),*1 where he emphasized the importance of international discussions on research and other facets of vehicle safety technology and aligning safety standards at the global level in the United Nations, and welcomed numerous participants from Japan and abroad to the conference. 
  At the conference, six nominees (including two Japanese) for special contributions to and outstanding leadership in promoting vehicle safety and nine nominees (including four Japanese) for engineering-related activities received awards from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
  The Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology also became the first Japanese team to win the top award at the “Student Safety Technology Design Competition” held during the conference.

  The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) organized the 27th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (27th ESV 2023) in Yokohama City (Pacifico Yokohama North) between April 3 and 6, in collaboration with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).

Opening Remarks
  TOYODA Toshiro, State Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, delivered opening remarks at the Opening Ceremony, where he emphasized the importance of international discussions on research and development of vehicle safety technology and aligning safety standards at the global level in the United Nations. State Minister TOYODA expressed his expectations for lively debate at this year’s meeting, and welcomed the many participants from Japan and abroad. This was followed with remarks by NAKATANI Shinichi, State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and Ann CARLSON, NHTSA’s Chief Counsel.*2
*1 ESV conferences are unique and invaluable to the global community. They provide opportunities to share innovative advances in motor vehicle safety and encourage international cooperation, generally held every two years in the U.S., Japan, Europe and other counties. 
*2 Nominated by President Biden to be the next NHTSA Administrator, as the position of Administrator at the NHTSA is currently vacant.

U.S. Government Awards
  At the U.S. Government Awards Ceremony, six nominees (including two Japanese) for special contributions to and outstanding leadership in promoting vehicle safety and nine nominees (including four Japanese) for engineering-related activities received awards from NHTSA (See Attachment 2 for details on the award winners).

Government Status Reports
  The Japanese, U.S., Canadian, German, Korean and Swedish governments delivered presentations on the status of vehicle safety policies, with Japan presenting on initiatives such as development of safety standards, the Advanced Safety Vehicle (ASV) Project, Japan New Car Assessment Program (JNCAP), and aligning international standards. 

Plenary Panel and Sessions
  In relation to the theme of 27th ESV 2023, “Enhanced and Equitable Vehicle Safety for All: Toward the next 50 years,” a plenary panel session was held on the topic of the “Aging society,” where NOTSU Masao (Director-General for Engineering Affairs, Road Transport Bureau, MLIT) introduced initiatives being taken to promote the spread of driving support technologies in response to the reality of accidents involving senior citizens in Japan, such as Acceleration Control systems for Pedal Errors (ACPE). The panel was facilitated by Mr. Ibrahima SOW from Transport Canada, with attendance by industry leaders from Japan and Europe, as well as researchers engaged in studies on the driving characteristics of senior citizens. Presentations, questions and other discussions took place at special, technical and lunch sessions on the topics of cyber security, the protection of vulnerable road users and child occupants, active safety systems for avoiding collisions, development and adaptation of safety assessment approaches for vehicles equipped with autonomous driving systems (ADS), and ensuring safety while using advanced safety systems. 

Exhibition and Other Events
  In the Exhibition Hall, MLIT displayed panels on vehicle technology and safety measures and test vehicles for the Japan New Car Assessment Program (JNCAP) in cooperation with the National Agency for Automotive Safety and Victims' Aid (NASVA). The National Traffic Safety and Environment Laboratory (NTSEL) also exhibited artificial rainfall devices for use in research on the safety of automated driving systems and other mechanisms. Developments in safety technology and safety improvement were also showcased to the world with booth exhibits featuring the latest vehicle safety technologies, as well as an event of an experience of the latest safety technologies ("Ride and Learn").
  Technical tours were also offered by Denso (Global R&D Tokyo, Haneda), Toyota Motor Corporation (Higashi-Fuji Technical Center), and Nissan Motor Corporation (Nissan Intelligent Factory) where their advanced technologies and facilities were introduced. 

Student Safety Technology Design Competition
  Teams of students (six in total) selected from the Asia-Pacific, European and North American regions presented their own original technical ideas with solutions to vehicle safety issues at the “Student Safety Technology Design Competition” held during the conference, competing with one another based on originality, development potential and practicality. The collegiate team from the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology won the competition for their presentation on the theme of the “Fast Autonomous Cornering Without Causing Rollover Based on the Detection of Three-Dimensional Center of Gravity (D3DCG)”, and was presented with an award at the Closing Ceremony of the 27th ESV 2023. 

Total Number of Participants and Next Host Country
  Approximately 1,400 people from over 20 countries joined the 27th ESV 2023. An announcement was made during the Closing Ceremony that the 28th ESV would be held in Canada (dates and host city to be decided). 

  MLIT will continue to collaborate closely with the U.S. and other countries, ministries and agencies, research institutes and the industries to promote global efforts to develop vehicle safety technologies. 

[Attachment 1] Photos from the 27th ESV 2023
[Attachment 2] Details on the U.S. Government Award winners
[Reference] 27th ESV 2023 website: https://www.27esv.org/index.html

Contact Information

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and TourismVehicle Regulation and International Affairs Division, Road Transport Bureau
TEL +81-3-5253-8111 (Extension 42504, 42524)

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