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By Marie Bradby Illustration by Brittany Granville
T
he first time I drove a car with a blind spot indicator was on a cold fall morning in 2016 as I drove a friend’s car back to Louisville from the airport in Cincinnati. She flew off to sunny Florida, while I headed back to snow flurries. As I drove, a yellow indicator light lit up every time a car was approaching me. After the car had passed, the yellow light would go off.
It was reassuring to know when I could safely change lanes in the increasing morning rush hour traffic. After I got the hang of it, I decided that every car should have this blind spot technology. Through the use of multiple cameras and radar sensors, there are loads of high tech safety features available on cars today that assist the driver like a co-pilot.
They not only make it safer to change lanes but also to avoid fender benders, reduce the likelihood of hitting pedestrians and wildlife, keep you from drifting out of your lane, aid you in backing up safely, and help you to perform the trickiest of maneuvers — parallel parking. “I think the safety features that manufacturers are putting in new cars today are going to help all of us on the highway and in parking lots,” says Teresa Bachman, owner/vice president of Bachman Chevrolet. “So many accidents happen in parking lots. Think of all the times you’ve nearly bumped into somebody’s car because you didn’t see it. With all these mirrors and cameras, it’s really helpful.” Bret Veatch, Audi brand manager at Bluegrass Motor Sport, says,“It’s not self-driving by any means, but it will make the stress for the driver significantly less.” Because costs are getting lower for these technologies, a wide variety of car makes and models now have these safety features.
Read about Marie's test drives with these new features on page 10.
Heavenly
Features to Look for Here are some assist features that are either standard or available for new cars: Back-up camera: When you shift into reverse, the console screen automatically displays what is behind you to help you avoid hitting an object or a person. Rear Cross Traffic Alert: You are notified if sensors detect a vehicle or pedestrian when you are backing out of a parking spot. Blindspot Indicator Light: A monitor constantly scans alongside and behind your vehicle, and if it detects a vehicle in your blind spot, it displays a yellow warning signal light on your side mirror. Park Sensors: When you are within 8 feet of an obstacle, the car will beep faster and faster, the closer you get, which helps you avoid hitting cars and curbs when parking. Active Park Assist: It parks the car with no assistance from the driver.
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Summer 2018 / TodaysTransitions.com
Lane Departure Warning: Unless your turn signal is on, a beeping alert will notify you when you are drifting out of your lane. This is great if you are getting drowsy. Lane Keep Assist: If you accidentally drift out of your lane, the car will self-guide back into its lane. Following Distance Indicator: Lets you know if you are too close to the vehicle ahead in order to avoid tailgating and rearend collisions. Automatic High Beams: At night — when there are no tail lights forward and no oncoming vehicle — the high beams come on automatically. They switch back to low beams when the area is brighter or other cars are present. Night Vision: As a way to identify potential dangers, images of pedestrians and wildlife on the road are projected onto
the windshield at night so you can avoid hitting them. Heads Up Display: Information such as the speed limit, your speed, and lane lines are projected onto the lower windshield. You can monitor this info while keeping your eyes on the road. Low-Speed Forward Automatic Braking: Especially good in parking lots when driving less than 10 mph. If the car detects a pedestrian, it will automatically brake. Forward Collision Alert Notification: The car will flash its lights and beep to alert you to hit the brakes when a collision is imminent. Automatic Emergency Braking: The driver is warned of an imminent collision, and if the driver doesn’t respond, the car will automatically apply the brakes. PAGE 10 >>