Autoblog

Mandated collision avoidance technology makes NTSB's Most Wanted List

George Kennedy — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:28:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Technology

Lane departure warning and collision avoidance systems have largely been the province of upscale automakers or the range-topping trims in volume models, but that's beginning to change. Apparently, however, the National Transportation Safety Board feels that such safety features should not be the preserve of the well-to-do, however, suggesting that this technology should be made standard on all new cars and trucks. This announcement comes as the NTSB adds "Collision Avoidance" to its Most Wanted List, which the board uses to "increase awareness of, and support for, the most critical changes needed to reduce transportation accidents and save lives."

The government agency suggests that the entire suite of collision avoidance technologies be made compulsory, including adaptive cruise control, automatic braking and electronic stability control. Last year, there were more than 32,000 traffic deaths, and the NTSB says inclusion of these technologies in all vehicles could cut fatal highway accidents in half.

Automakers warn that inclusion of these technologies as standard equipment will raise the base price on vehicles by thousands of dollars. According to the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, passive warning systems cost about $1,000 to $3,000 per vehicle, while active systems that apply the brakes if the driver does not respond to warnings could cost as much as $3,000 per car. While Autoblog acknowledges that the cost of such systems is prohibitive - and not all of us are fans of such systems - the AAM's numbers strike us as a bit curious, as such systems generally don't command that kind of money on current models that have them as options.

For their part, safety advocates counter that cost-per-vehicle would come down with volume. According to an NTSB board member, "Some of this technology could be done for literally just a few dollars," he continued, "I don't think we're talking about adding thousands of dollars to a car."

As part of this year's Most Wanted list, the board also suggested that automakers create systems that disable all but the most essential mobile phone functions. This, combined with the suite of collision alert systems would result in a driver that is more informed of his/her surroundings and not distracted while driving.

Mandated collision avoidance technology makes NTSB's Most Wanted List originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW reminds you to keep your head while driving

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 01 May 2012 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Technology, Videos, BMW, Humor

The world is a distracting place. No matter where you are or what you're doing, there are any number of things designed specifically to draw your attention elsewhere. It's true when you're driving, too, which is why automakers like BMW have crafted technologies like lane departure warning.

Of course, even if we can all admit to arriving at a destination without being able to remember a single salient detail about how we actually got there, or vibrating the car across a set of rumble strips every now and then, it takes a talented marketing department to get the message across in a manner we'll actually understand.

Scroll down for a video showing one man's aimless head doing everything but driving. But beware, this one is a wee bit *warning-NSFW-warning* due to a brief scene at a clothing-optional beach. Sorry, was that distracting?

Continue reading BMW reminds you to keep your head while driving

BMW reminds you to keep your head while driving originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 May 2012 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class tries to overcome inattentive drivers

Sam Abuelsamid — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 15:35:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

2011 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class active steering correction - Click above for high-res image gallery

The refreshed 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class coupe is a prime example of how engineers are starting to take some of the disparate hardware technology that has been introduced over the last decade and integrate it to provide new functionality. The CL employs the various optical camera and radar sensors used for features like adaptive cruise control to help prevent accidents by first warning the driver and then intervening if the driver doesn't respond.

We've had various lane departure and blind spot warning systems for several years now and like those, the Mercedes system starts by alerting the driver. At first, the blind spot system illuminates a yellow lamp in the relevant mirror, which changes to red and adds an audible warning if the driver doesn't react. If the driver keeps moving into the path of another vehicle, a motor sends a rumble through the steering wheel and the brakes on the car's opposite side are applied to pull it back in line.

Inifiniti has had similar lane-keep functionality for several years, but the CL is first car we're aware of that integrates it with a blind-spot warning system.

Gallery: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL steering correction

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class tries to overcome inattentive drivers

2011 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class tries to overcome inattentive drivers originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 Jul 2010 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: NHTSA to mandate lane departure warning and auto-brake systems?

Chris Paukert — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:44:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Technology

Is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about to add some more safety measures to your next new car? According to The Detroit News, they might be. The Motown daily says that government officials are pondering whether or not they should require new vehicles to be fitted with lane-departure warning systems and automatic braking systems that trigger upon warning of an impending accident. Both systems are currently available only in very small percentage of new passenger cars - primarily luxury vehicles. According to the DetNews report, safety experts believe that the systems "show significant promise" in their ability to reduce traffic accident-related fatalities and injuries.

NHTSA will decide whether to require such systems in 2011 after further cost-benefit analysis, including looking at insurance company data and estimated manufacturing costs. It has already added new components to its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) for 2011 vehicles, including a test that measures the effectiveness of lane-departure warning systems and a different frontal-crash program.

NHTSA hopes to announce its findings by the end of the year.

[Source: The Detroit News]

REPORT: NHTSA to mandate lane departure warning and auto-brake systems? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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