Nissan Motor is developing a safety system that combines a radar and camera to help drivers brake and steer better to avoid crashes and the feature was shown to reporters on Tuesday in test drives at the company’s research centre near Tokyo, Associated Press (AP) reported.
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The report said Nissan also showed a new cruise control system similar to the one available on Cadillacs, which allows a car to automatically follow the one in front at a safe distance.
Nissan, Toyota and Honda already offer safety features on some models in Japan that strengthen a car’s braking power or tighten passengers’ seat belts in anticipation of a crash. AP said.
But the Nissan car shown on Tuesday, equipped with the still-experimental braking system for avoiding collisions, can detect a car about 100 metres (330 feet) ahead by sensing the reflection of light bouncing off the rear of the car in front and will brake on its own, Associated Press added.
The report said the system also helps the driver’s steering by increasing the braking on the left wheel or the right wheel at different times to lessen the loss of control that comes with steering while braking. In a test drive, the car slowed down and veered sharply to avoid a crash, skidding and lurching to the side.
AP said the laser radar, which is in the front grille of the car, can only detect light from reflectors on the rear of a car so it cannot recognize pedestrians, head-on crashes or vehicles from the side. The camera is stuck near the windscreen.
Nissan also demonstrated its new adaptive cruise control system, which will be offered in a luxury model set to go on sale in Japan next year, the report added.
According to Associated Press, the car moves automatically to follow the car in front at set distance even at slow speeds, for example, about 15 metres (50 feet) running at 20 km/h (12 mph), braking on its own if the driver steps on the accelerator and gets too close to the car in front.
AP said drivers need only keep their hands on the steering wheel although the temptation may be to do nothing at all or start reading a book.
The system is considered handy for the frequent bumper-to-bumper traffic on Japan’s congested highways, Nissan officials told the news agency. General manager Yasuhiro Shiraishi reportedly said the company is considering offering the feature in North America but no date has been set.
