Let’s face it, driving eventually becomes like riding a bike. It is something we all do absent mindedly, at one point or another, without fully paying attention to road in front of us. For that reason, research is being done on a new kind of brake technology that may provide a cure for the rear-end collision in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
The new technology is called City Safety and it’s the first system to address more common crashes at speeds under 20 miles an hour. Crash avoidance systems like this can help ensure that a momentary lapse of attention during a congested commute doesn’t result in a crash.
City Safety uses an infrared laser sensor built into the windshield to monitor the area in front of a vehicle when traveling at speeds of about 2 mph to 19 mph. It doesn’t involve a warning to the driver; rather the system will automatically break to avoid a front-to-rear crash. It detects and reacts to other cars within 18 feet of the front bumper. If the speed difference between the vehicles is less than 9 mph, the system may enable the driver to avoid some crashes altogether. If the difference is between 9 mph and 19 mph, the system may not prevent the crash but will reduce the severity of the damage and injury.
City Safety can operate during the day or at night; however it does have some limitations. Fog, heavy rain or snow may limit the ability of the system’s infrared laser to detect other vehicles. If the sensor becomes blocked by dirt, ice or snow, the driver will be advised.
The system is automatically activated when the vehicle ignition is turned on. It can be manually deactivated by the driver. David Strickland, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said the agency is deeply interested in the potential for crash avoidance technology to significantly improve driving safety. The City Safety technology is currently only being used by one particular vehicle make and model, but will hopefully spread to other car manufacturers in the near future.
