Auto Trends

Three car, chain reaction rear ender collision 1 of 4, originally uploaded by 7mary3

2009 is going to be an exciting year for technological innovation. It will have vehicles that can parallel park themselves, identify a driver by their “key”, and even more exciting, there are two safety features in the works, which are base programs for the inevitable automated driving systems to come… Forward Collision Warning and Emergency Brake Assist.

Forward Collision Warning Systems

Forward collision warning systems (FCWS) are basically radar based computer driven systems which monitor the actions of objects in front, determining the distance and relative speed, in order to give advanced warning of potential accidents before they happen. It is guided by a predefined series of distance thresholds in order to determine when an object is approaching with dangerous odds. When an object is deemed as hazardous to the vehicle, the computer will react with a warning message to the driver which will involve one or more of the following:

• An audible and visual alarm
• Seat belt tug
• In the future such systems may actually apply the brakes and take control of the steering in order to avoid the accident on its own. But for now, drivers remain responsible for the safe operation of their own vehicles. It is only up to the system to provide warning with ample time for the driver to react accordingly. You can imagine the great responsibility and consequence of a system which responded on its own. It should be a few years before we see the public release of a completely automated collision avoidance system…

Emergency Brake Assistance

Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) works similar and in conjunction with the FCWS system. Its basic function is to monitor emergency situations and help apply proper brake pressure when it senses danger. The theory behind the idea, is a computer should be able to respond without hesitancy during an emergency, whereas a panicked driver may not. This system will give the driver a few split-seconds advantage in their initial reaction time, which may very well be the few vital seconds that save their life.

The system works by presenting an audible and visual alert, while also applying maximum pressure to the brakes when it senses that the driver is attempting to make an emergency braking maneuver. It does this by increasing hydraulic pressure in the braking system. At the same token, it also monitors the drivers release of the brake, and releases the hydraulic pressure just as quickly.

These are just a few ways in which automotive manufacturers are working to not only keep their consumers safer, but also generate more sales during this next year of economic downturn.