Lynnaire Johnston - Road toll set to plummet?

Friday, August 12, 2011 3:10 PM

Today's new vehicles are so loaded with safety features it's a wonder drivers are still needed to pilot vehicles. It's also a wonder that anyone has crashes any more. Mind you, if we all drove brand new vehicles that have these bells and whistles, we probably wouldn't. But since most of us drive used imports, these innovations are still a long way off. Still, it's interesting to know what is now available.

Subaru's new safety system, EyeSightTM, is to be fitted to some Legacy and Outback models from next year. Australia and New Zealand will become the first overseas market for the advanced technology, which has already achieved major sales success in Japan. EyeSight is a driver assistance system combining active, passive and preventative safety technologies. It uses minute stereo cameras to recognise a variety of potential road hazards and alert the driver. The cameras are located in a single compact unit near the rear-view mirror. Eyesight is a driver assistance system combining active, passive and preventative safety technologies. It is designed to actively assist drivers in avoiding frontal collisions, lane drifting and low speed impacts. It can "lock on" to vehicles directly in front and, when used together with adaptive cruise control, can slow, stop and accelerate to maintain a safe distance. Plus, it can also recognise pedestrians, motorcycles and cyclists within its field of vision. Depending on conditions, EyeSightTM can use pre-crash braking to help minimise any impact and damage. If the speed is less than 30 km/h, the car may be brought to a complete stop prior to impact. The system includes seven key functions:

• Pre-Crash Braking - applies the brakes when a vehicle ahead is detected slowing or stopping suddenly (and the driver has failed to apply the brakes).
• Pre-Crash Brake Assist - if the system determines that a collision is highly likely and the driver applies the brakes, the system can generate 1G maximum deceleration to help reduce impact or damage.
• Progressive Start Control - if a driver accidentally applies full throttle close to a barrier or large object situated in front of the car (such as a car park wall or vehicle immediately ahead at close range), EyeSight inhibits the throttle opening, helping minimise or potentially avoid impact. This also assists in helping to reduce impacts when "Drive" is accidentally selected instead of "Reverse".
• Adaptive Cruise Control - is designed to maintain a safe distance from the "target" car in front, irrespective of the varying speed of that vehicle.
• Lane Departure Warning - alerts the driver if the system determines that the car is drifting across clearly marked lanes.
• Vehicle Sway Warning - alerts the driver if the car starts to sway from one side of the road to another, which may occur with fatigue.
• Progressive Motion Monitor - when the EyeSight-equipped vehicle is stopped and the vehicle in front starts to move, the driver receives an audible reminder and information display indicator notifying them that the vehicle in front has moved.