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SAFETY BOOSTERS
Cutting-edge features in vehicles COMPILED BY Dyan Seneviratne
Many modern innovations in car safety are not merely aimed at making the vehicle’s owner look cool and tech savvy; they also play a part in keeping drivers and their passengers safe whilst on the road. Here are seven cutting-edge features.
LANE ASSIST This feature does exactly what its name (‘lane keeping assist’ or ‘lane departure warning system’) suggests: it helps you stay in your lane! The technology tracks your driving behaviour and notifies you through visual and auditory alerts – as well as steering wheel vibrations in some vehicles – that there’s an unexpected change in your driving path. This feature also helps mitigate the hazards posed by driver drowsiness.
Ford has introduced this in some models with its Sync system and Toyota is working with Intel to develop one of its own. Ideally, these systems will also have the ability to connect to your home network, enabling you to transfer information from a computer or laptop directly to your car.
NIGHT VISION Some luxury cars come equipped with a night vision display, which enables drivers to identify objects ahead of them on the road that may pose obstructions. This feature allows you to see and avoid things that could be difficult to make out even with your headlights on.
CITY SAFETY With the increase in low speed collisions, the world of driving is turning to automated braking. This feature is designed to prevent low speed rear end collisions by using infrared sensors to monitor what’s happening in front of your vehicle. And should traffic come to a sudden stop in front of you, so will your vehicle – without you having to do anything! It’s perfect for drivers who are caught up in gridlock.
BLIND SPOTS Given the Blind Spot Information System with Cross-Traffic Alert feature, blind spots are fast becoming not so blind as multiple beam radar modules detect whatever is lurking out there. All traffic coming from the side of your vehicle within a certain distance is detected through sensors and the driver is kept informed.
MORE AIR BAGS What’s road safety without the consideration of pedestrians? Some car manufacturers have thought about saving occupants and pedestrians alike from severe injury in the case of an accident by installing a sensor tube in the front bumper, which inflates immediately prior to impact.
SAFE CRUISING The Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system uses sensors and radar, normally mounted inside the grille, to lock onto the car ahead and maintain a safe distance, by automatically applying the throttle when acceleration is required and the brakes when traffic starts to slow down. ACC is mostly used by drivers on long highway cruises or when things get sticky in heavy congestion. If it senses a potential collision, the ACC system will brake heavily and tighten the seatbelts.
QUICK STOP More and more drivers are looking for the Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) feature when purchasing a new car. When a car fitted with AEB senses a potential collision and the driver doesn’t react in time, it will start braking for you. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) data reveals that rear end collisions fell by 50 percent on vehicles with AEB. Responding to an IIHS survey, a Ford Mustang owner observed that “it’s much faster than me reacting to emergency situations. The brakes are already applied before my foot hits the pedal.”
