Since the first seatbelts were fitted in modern cars in 1949, safety measures have advanced quite rapidly over the decades. With the likes of ABS brakes, airbags and headlights now simply taken as given equipment in new cars, we take a look at the more advanced and current systems found in many new vehicles.
Driver Attention Monitor
This system is probably considered to be one of the softest by the driving community, simply because we all believe we are perfectly capable of self-monitoring and deciding as adults, when the best rest time is for ourselves. Fatigue has been identified as a major factor in road collisions, so whether you feel it or not, the car is able to sense and calculate through steering, acceleration and braking inputs, that you have been driving for too long. Take a break. Usually a soft chime accompanied by a coffee cup emoji appears on the infotainment screen to indicate break time.
Lane Keeping Assist
With a number of distractions that drivers face these days, keeping the vehicle in its correct lane is now being partially outsourced to the car itself. Using sensors in strategic places, the car is able to “read” between the two driving lines as it were. It then constantly makes the decision to stay within them by steering the wheels within the boundaries. The system works both at night and during day time. I must emphasise that where the lines are not clearly marked on the road, the system will struggle and could end up crossing lanes.
Blind Spot Monitor
Blind spots are some of the most overlooked – excuse the irony – areas of road safety, although even the K53 has a special section on them. Most car manufacturers have developed the Blind Spot Monitor because drivers tend to neglect this area when checking their obstacles. Normally an orange or amber light located on the side mirrors comes on when the blind spot is about to be breached. Some cars even make a beeping sound as a warning to the driver.
Park Distance Control with Park Assist
Sonar and radar sensors “look” for empty parking spots and then steer – sometimes accelerate too – into it automatically, without the driver’s help. Early systems did need the driver’s input, either on steering or acceleration. While a number of manufacturers in all segments do offer this system, drivers still don’t trust it much. This despite our clearly inability to park cars proficiently into parking bays.
Adaptive Cruise Control
One of the more useful safety systems allows the car you are driving to automatically keep a safe following distance to the car ahead of it when cruising on the freeway especially. Radar and camera systems monitor live the distance and speed between the two vehicles, and adjusts accordingly. One is of course able to set their own preferred speed, but if the car being followed is slower, your car will automatically adapt and keep to that speed. Should that car suddenly slow down or brake, your car will react similarly.
