Autoblog

Safety technology has become a major selling point for car shoppers, and a new front-sensing camera co-developed by Vauxhall and Opel will give GM's European brands something to brag about. The new camera, which will be available on the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia beginning early 2009, is located between the wind screen and the rear-view mirror. The camera sees what's ahead at 30 frames per second and uses two processors to both read road signs and tell drivers when they're straying from a lane.

The road sign reader works by scanning the road ahead for recognizable shapes and signals, then displaying information like speed limits or no passing zone signs in the digital display in the middle of the gauge cluster. Depending on conditions, the camera can recognize signs up to 100 meters away.

The lane departure system works by sounding an alarm whenever the driver strays out of a chosen lane. The digital display will also show the driver that the vehicle is drifting, which can help drivers that may have a hearing impediment.

If the recent hand-me-down program between Opel and Saturn continues to blossom, we may have both the car and the camera Stateside before we know it. Hit the jump to see an animation showing how the camera works. You'll also scope out the Vauxhall press release.

[Source: Vauxhall]

Lane departure sensors and adaptive cruise control have helped to prevent accidents and save lives, and new technology from the University of Michigan hopes to take the those ideas to the next level. U of M's Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety System warns drivers if they're about to hit another vehicle while changing lanes; if they're about to leave the road; and if they're going to rear-end another vehicle. The system improves on existing technology by integrating data from video, radio sensors and GPS to warn drivers of dangerous situations and give them the path of least possible harm.

The university secured over $32M in funding from state and local governments plus several corporations, which will pay for the testing of 16 passenger cars and 10 commercial trucks equipped with the system. IIHS predicts that tens of thousands of lives will be saved each year if lane departure and forward crash systems are improved, so here's to hoping the Wolverines have a smash hit on their hands. No pun intended.

[Source: Detroit News]

The view above your left knee in the 2009 Infiniti FX.

In the last 24 hours, we've been accosted with more high-tech, in-car wizardry than we've ever asked for. And while you'll have to wait until next week to read our review of the new Infiniti FX, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has weighed in on the top five new safety technologies that may, or may not, have an effect on crash rates.

The IIHS studied how blind-spot detection systems, adaptive headlamps, lane-departure warning systems, forward-collision warning systems with automatic braking and emergency brake assist, work and how they may prevent collisions.

Of the 2.3 million frontal crashes that take place annually, 7,200 result in a fatality. The proliferation of systems that can detect an imminent frontal collision, sound a warning and if the drive doesn't react, preload all the safety systems and begin applying the brakes may prove useful. The same goes for lane departure warning systems, which notify the driver with a tone if they begin veering out of their lane. Others, like blind-spot detection systems won't have as much affect on road fatalities since they don't account for a substantial amount of fatal crashes, but they'll certainly make people more aware of their surroundings.

The IIHS also noted that adaptive headlamps, which turn in conjunction with the wheel to illuminate around a curve, might cause drivers to increase their speed, making a crash more probable. While we don't buy that last one, it highlights the point that's often left out of these studies: driver error is the number one cause of collisions. Fix that and all this added technology is superfluous.

[Source: IIHS via Detroit News]

You don't need no stinkin' Volvo to experience BLIS(s) -- for 2008, the Buick Lucerne is fitted with lane departure and blind-spot warning systems. The Lucerne offers classic GM big-sedan ethos, with lots of content, wide, cushy seats and restrained, handsome styling. Now, when you're motorvating down the interstate, listening to your Buick 8, an amber lamp will illuminate in the gauge cluster, and a chime will toll three times to indicate you're about to encroach on someone else's road space. If one of the ever present morons on the road decides to hang out in your blind spot, the Lucerne uses proximity sensors behind the rear fascia to detect the car and warn you with an indicator in the side mirror. Buick's safety gear will also be offered on Cadillac's STS and DTS, making GM Luxury that much safer. Now if they could just develop a "blinker on for the last 60 miles" warning system, or a "stay the hell out of the fast lane if you're doing 53 1/2 MPH" light in the cluster, we'd be good. Okay, okay, we'll admit, the stereotyping is stale. Maybe we're just mellowing with time, but we appreciate the merits of a Lucerne.

[Source: Edmunds]

Intelligent vehicle monitoring systems are nothing new. Whether it takes the shape of active cruise control, lane departure warning systems or a device that can measure the eye movement of a driver and then deliver a pulse through the steering wheel to ensure the motorist doesn't fall asleep, all these gadgets seek to curb the inherit problem of basic human error.

Speeding though is one area were few achievements have been made. That may all change with a new device manufactured by Australian company, Seeing Machines Ltd. In an effort to reduce speed related crashes and limit the amount of tickets being issued to drivers who push the mandated velocity envelope, Seeing Machines has developed a logical, albeit intrusive, solution.

A camera mounted on the windshield has the ability to recognize signs posting the legal speed limit. The camera then detects the speed the vehicle is traveling and, depending on the users configuration, begins sounding a series of beeps to alert the driver of the their infraction. Another system, based off the same hardware, can actually apply the brakes of the vehicle if the driver does not comply with the previous warnings. Although this system has proven useful, Seeing Machines has found that most drivers prefer to have absolute control.

If all goes according to plan, we should start seeing these devices for sale within the next two years.

[Source: Drive.com.au]