Buick LaCrosse and obstacles detection system
The detection system of barriers on the sides of the Buick LaCrosse can prevent accidents when changing lanes
Every driver has already lived the experience, another vehicle hiding in your blind spot while attempting a lane change. Even when the collision is avoided, your heart is pounding and you have an adrenaline rush.
The prevention of these near misses too frequent is possible through small icons that appear in the exterior mirrors of the 2010 Buick LaCrosse. The well appointed obstacle detection system on odds dotes uses radar sensors to provide a pair of "eyes" to monitor additional blind spots on the sides of the vehicle.
What is the prevalence of incidents due to blind spots? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that lane changes are a factor in 85% of all collisions.
"The technology of detection of obstacles on the sides allows the vehicle to see places or the driver can hardly bear eyes" stated Kent Lybecker, an engineer in active safety systems at GM. "This technology makes lane changes safer because it alerts the driver to the presence of vehicles that would otherwise have escaped to his view. "
When the obstacle detection system on odds detected a vehicle in the adjacent lane, it illuminates a symbol in the exterior mirror to warn the driver of a possible collision. If the driver activates the turn signal on the side of the vehicle detected, the symbol will flash. Otherwise, it remains lit until the vehicle is no longer in the blind spot.
The system uses a radar alternative beams that sweep from outside the vehicle, covering an area of approximately one lane width on each side of the vehicle. The area also extends to the back about three meters for extra protection.
The model LaCrosse is one of 27 new vehicles to have deserved the title of "the safest Vehicle" for 2010 awarded by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. This award recognizes the most suitable to protect occupants in frontal collisions, side and rear as well as a vehicle rollover tests conducted by the agency on.
Other 2010 GM vehicles offer the obstacle detection system on the sides: the Buick Lucerne; STS, DTS and Escalade ESV Cadillac; Tahoe and Chevrolet Suburban and Yukon and Yukon XL GMC.
The detection system of obstacles on the sides aims to help the driver avoid collisions when changing lanes, but the driver must still check blind spots before the maneuver.
