Jan Obermann

摘要

The vehicle, what it represents and its main purpose - its raison d'etre, if you will - is quite different depending on who you speak to. For some it is a source of pleasure, enabling the thrill of fast acceleration, while for others it is merely a convenience that transports you from one place to another, Regardless of why it is that people drive, as soon as cars were capable of reaching speeds higher than 25km/h they became potentially lethal objects and ever since engineers have looked at improving safety records. For Skoda electrics engineer, Jan Obermann, making the vehicle safer has been the goal throughout his career so far. Even in just the relatively short time he has been in the industry, Obermann has seen priorities shift. "When I first started, 15 years ago, we were focused on passive safety - helping during and after a crash," he says. "But for the last few years it has been also active safety because with active safety we can prevent accidents and we are not just helping the driver and passengers but also the surrounding traffic as well."