the use of radar, camera or laser technology. Forward
collision avoidance may also be called a pre-crash system
or a collision mitigation system.
Forward collision warning –
This feature is a part of
any forward collision avoidance system and can come
in the form of a visible or audible warning. I’ve seen
everything from a red flashing light popping up on a
heads-up display to a small alert icon on the behind-the-
wheel gauges. The audible alerts I’ve experienced range
from loud tornado siren-like alarms to light beeps.
Lane keep assist –
These systems have varying
degrees of aggressive intervention. In its mildest form,
when a camera on the side mirror sees the car creeping
toward a lane line, the steering wheel will try to gently
nudge the car back into its lane. In its most aggressive
form it virtually steers the car for you. I’ve experimented
with the more aggressive forms on closed courses, and
I literally took my hands off the wheel while speeding
toward a sweeping curve at 55 mph. The car took the
curve and stayed smoothly in the lane. After my third
time in a row playing with the feature, a few of the cars
actually told me to put my
hands back on the wheel.
This system is both creepy
and cool. However, it should
be noted that the accuracy
of the system depends on
the clarity of lane lines.
I’ve driven some cars with
lane keep assist through
construction zones and the
cameras have mistakenly
picked up the wrong lines
and tried to steer me off the
road.
Park assist –
Whenever
my sister visits me in
Chicago, she’ll double park
her car near a parking spot
on the street and wait for me
to come meet her. Then she
lets me park her car. She,
like a lot of people who live
in non-urban environments,
has never mastered the art
of parallel parking. And
now she doesn’t have to.
Ford has led the charge
with its advanced park
assist systems, which not
only parallel park a car but
also pull it out of a spot or
back it into a perpendicular
space. Several automakers, such as Volvo, Chrysler and
Toyota, also include this feature in technology packages.
Rear cross-traffic alert –
Busy parking lots are awash
with speeding cars and pedestrians paying more attention
to cell phones than cars backing out of spots. Rear cross-
traffic alert uses a rear back-up camera combined with
radar to alert the driver of potential hazards when backing
out of a spot. Some systems issue audible-only warnings.
Others issue a visible warning on the back-up screen in
addition to the audible.
More Car, Les s Money : The LEASE you can do!
CHICAGO AUTO SHOW 2016
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