Philips 2011 Annual Report Download - page 25

3 Our strategy in action 3 - 3
Annual Report 2011 25
Customer-centric innovation
shaping the future of motoring
In the growth market of Daytime Running Lights, our Automotive business has shown it’s
got what it takes to Accelerate! – by teaming up with its OEM and after-market
customers, addressing their needs, and winning business.
The automotive lighting industry is undergoing radical
transformation. More and more people are becoming
mobile – and want to stay mobile into old age. At the same
time, there are growing legislative pressures, e.g. to
reduce the environmental impact of motoring and to
increase safety. Vehicle makers are also having to serve
increasingly diverse needs, with consumer tastes ranging
from functional economy cars to luxury vehicles. And new
technologies – such as our cutting-edge LED technology
– are changing the face of automotive design and
performance.
We are getting closer to our automotive customers and
taking ownership of their evolving lighting needs – such as
those arising from the recent European Union legislation
making Daytime Running Lights (DRL) mandatory.
Advocating safer motoring
Automotive lighting is a major safety factor when driving:
40% of all accidents occur during the daytime. And 50%
of these are caused by motorists failing to see another
road user in time!
EU legislation stipulates that, as of 2011, all new passenger
car models and small delivery vans must be equipped with
DRL, with trucks and buses to follow in 2012. Through
our insights and research activities we helped the EU
reach its decision to adopt DRL. “The introduction of
DRL … will make a positive contribution to our goal of
reducing fatalities on European roads whilst being more
fuel-efficient than existing lights,” said Günter Verheugen,
Vice President responsible for enterprise and industry
policy.