Safety Features Of The Rich And Famous
Time was that, in the past, you had to be a high roller in terms of car purchases in order to get the best safety features. That’s no longer the case since car manufacturers started to figure out that the average guy on the street was happy to pay more to get those same features and I am not talking vehicle tracking here.
The example set by Ford’s release of the Ford Explorer is a good one, but not an isolated incident. The brass predicted that only 15 percent of the public would opt for the added expense of top range security features. This figure, and their expectations, were blown out of the water when a whopping 40 percent laid out the extra cash instead. What this has meant is that the average Joe can now attain the same advanced security features formally enjoyed only by luxury brands.
- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
An amazing advancement which Cruise Control lovers will really appreciate, though it may not suit speed freaks. This system makes use of a radar headway sensor and other related gadgets to detect another vehicle’s proximity. Should the car in front of you suddenly decelerate or should another obstacle suddenly enter your vicinity and become a collision threat the ACC automatically slows your car down to a safe speed.
- Blind Spot Information System (BLIS)
Developed by Volvo, this simple yet highly effective system uses a variety of lenses which monitor your blind spots while switching lanes. If it picks up another vehicle moving towards you in a way that could suggest a collision, it provides you with a visible alert. This technology has been used by Volvo but has also been adapted by their former parent company, Ford, through several of their models since 2009.
- Active Park Assist
This auto parallel parking system makes me think of Steven Spielberg’s movie, Minority Report, and their auto-driven future cars. This system makes use of ultrasonic sensing technology to detect obstacles and gauge the requirements of a successful parallel parking venture. It can assume steering responsibilities for the driver (although s/he retains control of the accelerator and brakes) and even verbally guides the driver into their new parking spot.
- Rain-sensing Wipers
Through a great deal of trial and error over the years, manufacturers have finally developed new technology for your windscreen wipers. A sensor projects infrared light onto your windscreen and, depending on the level of light refraction, determines the amount of water gathered on said panel of glass. Water refracts the light in multiple directions, thus, if the sensor isn’t getting enough light back – it activates the wipers.
