Automotive Articles

Driver error is one of the most common causes of traffic accidents. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported that nearly 80% of all accidents are caused by distracted drivers. To help mitigate the aftereffects of the errors caused by drivers, manufacturers have developed some fantastic safety devices.

Here's a quick look at some of the most advanced safety features available in cars today. To find out if any of these features are available in the vehicle you're looking for, ask your Authorized Dealer Contact.

Lane Departure Warning and Driver Alertness Monitors

These devices use small cameras or sensors to determine when your car begins to drift outside its lane, and then alerts you of the unwanted lane change through a buzzer, vibration or visual cue. Expanding on the idea of Lane Departure Warning Systems, Driver Alertness Monitors track steering and throttle patterns and issue audible alarms when they vary from normal patterns – alerting potentially drowsy drivers.

Blind Spot Monitoring

Blind spot monitors help drivers detect objects not readily seen by the vehicle's side and rearview mirrors. If the driver attempts to change lanes while another vehicle/object is in the blind spot, the system will alert the driver to the potential threat through a warning light or audible alarm, hopefully averting an accident.

Adaptive Cruise Control

This type of cruise control goes well beyond maintaining a constant speed. It uses forward-looking radar to detect the speed and distance of the cars in front of you. If traffic slows down or someone cuts in front of you, it sends a signal to the engine and brakes to keep a safe distance. When traffic gets back up to speed, it will reaccelerate the car to the set cruising speed.

Collision Mitigation

Taking the idea of adaptive cruise control one step further, collision mitigation systems sense if an accident is about to happen and take steps like braking hard, rolling up windows and preparing air bags to help limit damage. The City Safe System offered on select Volvo models (including the brand new XC60) is one type of collision mitigation system. It focuses on avoiding or reducing the damage of low-speed collisions. Active between two and 19 miles per hour, the City Safe System uses an infrared laser to monitor the roadway in front of the car. If it detects that a collision is imminent and the driver doesn't respond, it takes control of the braking system, and will actually stop the vehicle (up to nine mph) before the collision happens or slows the vehicle down (10-19 mph) to help reduce the amount of damage.

Adaptive Headlights

Have you ever wanted to see what's around the next curve? Adaptive headlights can help. While standard headlights shine straight ahead, these high-tech lights use a vehicle's speed, steering and elevation to automatically adjust their beams so they are always focused on the road. When the vehicle turns right or left, the headlights angle to follow suit. This is safer for a couple reasons. First, since the lights are always pointed at the road, they cut down on glare, making it easier for other drivers to see. Second, by pivoting left or right when the steering wheel turns, you get a better view of what's ahead.

Night Vision

First introduced on the 2000 Cadillac DeVille, night vision systems use thermal imaging cameras to look up to 1,000 feet beyond the vehicle's headlights to identify objects in the roadway. Some studies say that night vision systems can increase a driver's reaction time at night from 3.5 seconds to 15 seconds. More advanced systems can show the position of an object, the direction it is moving, and differentiate between people and animals.