It's hard to put a price on peace of mind. That may be why
more new car buyers are opting for collision avoidance systems, one of the
automotive industry's latest--and more expensive--safety innovations.
These systems automatically engage the brakes when the
vehicle approaches an object too closely, and more automakers are offering them
as an option on new models, despite the added costs.
Mercedes-Benz Japan held a test-ride event for the press on
Sept. 13 featuring a CLS four-door coupe equipped with such a system. The car
traveled at 20 kph toward a wall 40 meters ahead, then automatically slammed on
the brakes to stop a few dozen centimeters ahead of it.
The system uses a radar installed in the front of the
vehicle to measure the distance to an obstruction. It calculates the distance
according to the time it takes the signal to bounce back from the obstruction.
The system fully engages the brakes 0.6 seconds before a pending collision.
According to a Mercedes-Benz Japan employee, "It can
stop almost every time at speeds of 30 kph or slower."
The automaker first began installing the system in its
E-Class, a leading Mercedes-Benz model released in November of last year, and
other models have followed suit. At 190,000 yen ($2,400), the system makes for
a pricey option, but the company says increasing concern over safety is
prompting more customers to choose it.
The success of the partially modified Legacy, a mainstay of
the Subaru brand released by Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. in 2010, first drew
serious attention to collision avoidance technology. The company's Eyesight
system uses a pair of windshield cameras that monitor the view ahead like a set
of human eyes, automatically engaging the brakes when it detects an obstacle.
Sales of Eyesight-equipped Legacies have been growing,
despite the extra 100,000 yen added to the price tag.
A company publicist said, "If you rear-end another
vehicle, the repairs can cost more than 100,000 yen. Some people think of it as
an alternative to (paying more) insurance."
According to the company, 70 percent of Legacy buyers now
opt for the Eyesight system.
Mitsubishi Motors Corp. is also joining the trend, adding
automatic braking technology to its Outlander sport utility vehicle.
Mitsubishi's system uses a radar attached to the front of the vehicle to
measure the distance to an obstacle. Though it differs from Fuji Heavy
Industries' windshield cameras, Mitsubishi Motors also says its system
successfully avoids collisions "almost every time at speeds of 30 kph or
slower."
The race to develop rival technologies is heating up.
Mazda Motor Corp. equipped its CX-5 SUV, launched in
February, with its own collision avoidance system. Toyota Motor Corp. marketed
on Oct. 11 its Lexus LS luxury sedan with its own system.
But none of these systems are perfect, and drivers shouldn't
be too confident in them.
The radar technology adopted by Mercedes-Benz and Mitsubishi
Motors has a hard time recognizing pedestrians and bicycles in front of the
vehicle, and while Fuji Heavy Industries' camera setup can detect them, it
performs poorly in fog, heavy rain and other bad weather.
Road conditions, too, must be taken into account, as brakes
do not perform as well on roads that are wet or slippery. The systems also
cannot completely avoid collisions when driving too fast.
All of the automakers emphasize that at best, this
technology helps to make driving safer.
Article Credit: http://ajw.asahi.com
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