Nissan Motor has not yet decided if and when its new ‘distance control assist system’ will be installed on a production car, a Nissan (GB) spokeswoman told just-auto on Thursday.
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The new electronic system is designed to help drivers control the distance between themselves and the vehicle in front and, Nissan says, “is especially useful in heavy traffic when frequent braking is required”.
Like the radar cruise controls already fitted to some production models including Jaguars and BMWs, Nissan’s new system uses a front bumper-mounted radar sensor to determine the following distance of the driver, as well as the relative speed of both cars. If the driver releases the accelerator pedal or is not pressing the accelerator pedal, the system automatically applies the brakes.
If the system determines that braking is required, an indicator will appear on the instrument panel and a buzzer will sound simultaneously. The accelerator pedal will then automatically move upwards to assist the driver in switching to the brakes.
The system was developed under Nissan’s so-called ‘Safety Shield2’ concept, which the automaker describes as an “accident prevention and management approach based on the idea of ‘vehicles that help protect people’.”
The Nissan GB spokeswoman said the company had taken about three years to develop the system and the company was still considering which future models it would be fitted to – if any – and also which countries the system would be available if the production go-ahead was given.
“There’s no timeline yet,” she said.
Other manufacturers have encountered difficulties introducing innovative technology like this in some markets.
For example, BMW had to get both government approvals to introduce brake lights that shine brighter the harder the brake pedal is depressed in some markets and regulatory issues have also affected the introduction of a Mercedes radar cruise control system in Australia.
The Age newspaper last month reported that Mercedes’-Distronic-Plus and Brake Assist-Plus – available for the latest S-class and already used in Europe and the US – could not be used in Australia because the federal government hadn’t yet approved for automotive purposes one of the two frequencies the radar uses, despite an application being lodged as far back as 2003.
The paper quoted a Mercedes Australia spokesman as saying that approval would require an act of parliament to be amended.
The Mercedes system uses forward-looking radar to automatically apply the brakes to avoid a crash.
Graeme Roberts
