Over the past seven to ten years, consistent government safety initiatives have prompted automakers to develop new safety systems to make automobiles safer. The term “crash avoidance” describes this relatively new genre of vehicle safety systems. Crash or collision avoidance systems may assist the driver with warnings or automatic braking to avoid or mitigate a crash.
These advanced technologies vary in function and what types of collisions they help drivers to avoid. In some cases, they increase braking power or adjust steering response to make the driver’s input more effective. They also may automatically brake or steer the vehicle if the driver does not take action to avoid the collision.
4 New Technologies that Warn Drivers of Collision Dangers
- Forward Collision Avoidance Systems: This technology can alert drivers whenever the car is getting too close to the vehicle in front of it. Most systems pre-charge the brakes to maximize their effect if the driver must suddenly respond to the warning. Some systems even apply the brakes autonomously if the driver doesn’t respond. These systems use various types of sensors, such as cameras, radar or light detection and ranging (LIDAR) to detect vehicles or objects in front of the vehicle. Pedestrian detection is an added subset of forward collision avoidance designed to recognize pedestrians. These particular systems use advanced algorithms and a combination of sensors and cameras to spot pedestrians who cross into or are about to cross into the driver’s path.
- Curve Speed Warning: These systems utilize a combination of GPS and digital maps to monitor vehicles as they approach sharper curves in the road. If the system detects that the vehicle is approaching a curve at an unsafe speed, an audio/visual alert is triggered. Entering a curve at excessive speeds could cause a vehicle to skid sideways into oncoming traffic or a rollover crash – particularly for some top-heavy SUVs.
- Fatigue Warning: Fatigue warning systems rely on sophisticated algorithms to analyze driver steering and other consistent “normal” driver inputs. Some are able to monitor a driver’s eye blink rate and blink duration. A system will alert the driver if it detects unusual patterns consistent with inattention or drowsy driving. Driver fatigue greatly increases the risk of collision and is also the leading cause of fatal commercial trucking accidents.
- Blind Spot Detection: This system scans the side of the vehicle for other vehicles approaching the blind spots. A visual alert may appear on or near either side-view mirror if a vehicle is detected. An audible alert may activate if the driver first signals a turn when there is a vehicle already in the blind spot on the turning side – further emphasizing the importance of using turn signals at all times. Some systems also may briefly override the steering inputs to keep the vehicle in its lane and block a blind spot collision from occurring.
IIHS
