Anti-Collision Cars

At least two automobile manufacturers plan to incorporate new safety technologies into mainstream models sometime in the near future.

Toyota recently announced their anti-collision technology, which is designed to prevent rear-end crashes by warning drivers when they are getting too close to the car in front of them. It will also apply the brakes in the event the driver fails to do so. The new safety feature will be introduced by year end in the luxury Crown sedan, but the goal is to offer it across the entire product line, taking advantage of economies of scale to produce the system more cost-effectively.

Nissan has also developed a technology to help avoid accidents. Radar and cameras installed on various points around the vehicle alert the driver to obstacles or approaching vehicles and display the direction in which the car should be steered. In the event the driver does not respond quickly enough, it switches to an automatic steering mode to avert the collision.

In addition, Nissan unveiled their driverless parking technology at a recent car show in Japan. The system even allows users to send instructions from their smart phones, telling their vehicle to search for the nearest parking space.