Say what you want about the nannyfication of cars, about gadgets that disturb the intimate relationship between man and machine. But a lot of the drastic decline of fatalities on the road goes on account of cars made safer with little electronics brains. Now, the brains think of people not even in the car.
In some countries, such as Germany and Japan, being in a car is already safer than not being in a car, at least statistically. In both countries, more non-motorists die in the streets than vehicle occupants. In the U.S.A., people dying in the car still outnumber dead pedestrians and bicyclists 5:1. If you really want to live dangerously, drive – or walk – in China. The Middle Kingdom is not only the world’s largest car market, it also tops the charts in traffic deaths.
Making the car safer not just for people in the car, but also for people who don’t drive, is the big challenge facing automakers (apart from plain survival of the car company.)
Today at the Higashi Fuji Technical Center in Susono, Shizuoka Prefecture, Toyota demonstrated to journalists what they can do to reduce the car-nage. Driving at 40 kilometers an hour (25 mph) a car outfitted with sensors and electronics automatically recognized a pedestrian ahead. The driver would have (in this case intentionally) run over the person. The car stopped and the crash test dummy lived to fight traffic deaths another day.
The other day, Automotive News [sub] reported about a similar system by Volvo that helps avoid accidents at speeds up to 19 mph.
In Susono, Toyota showed a whole array of pre-collision and collision avoidance systems, some of them still in development, some ready to hit the road.
Rear-End Collision and Pedestrian Accident Countermeasures: This system uses millimeter-wave radar and stereo cameras to detect pedestrians and vehicles in front. The system “is designed to avoid collisions should the driver not apply the brakes.”
Lane Departure Prevention: This system looks for roadside obstacles and approaching vehicles, it evaluate collision risks, and change the direction of the vehicle when needed.
Adaptive Driving Beam: This high beam does not just switch from high to low when it detects the taillights of vehicles ahead or the headlights of oncoming vehicles. It partially shields portions of the high-beam from striking vehicles ahead, while leaving the rest illuminated.
Pop-up Hood: Think of it as an airbag for pedestrians. In an accident, it helps reduce pedestrian head injury by automatically raising the rear of the hood to increase the space underneath. The head won’t smash through the hood on the motor block, the hood cushions the blow.
Emergency-response Technology: With all the safety gadgets, some day it will be down to one eventuality: The driver has a heart attack, everybody dies. Unless there is a new computer on board. The system detects sudden cardiovascular irregularity and brings the car to a stop. Just don’t look at hot babes with that system and lose a few heartbeats.
But a lot of the drastic decline of fatalities on the road goes on account of cars made safer with little electronics brains.
I seem to recall that they’ve determined that stability control is as big a boon to safety as seat belts.
That’s what I’ve understood also. Stability control does what no driver on the planet can do, selective brake at a specific wheel or wheels with varying modulation to prevent a spin before it happens. You can’t do that without computers, you can’t manage that with a single brake pedal and a single foot.
There are some modern safety advances that just make me go ugh, but ABS brakes, stability control, and two-stage air bags are not among them.
Those are the biggies. Especially the front air bags. The other 275 are less cut and clear.
The other 275 are less cut and clear.
Yeh, laminated/tempered windshields are such a waste. Bring back plate glass!
You can’t do that without computers, you can’t manage that with a single brake pedal and a single foot.
You can’t brake individual wheels without a computer, but no competent driver would lose control of a street vehicle with decent rear tires at or near legal speeds even without that.
Stability control makes me go “ugh” when I have to turn if off every time I start the car for winter driving. Stability control makes me go “I’ll drive something else” when it can’t be disabled.
The stability control has to be turned off on my RWD Lexus when I wish to disable the traction control. Which is a rather large price to pay when I wish it engage in snow-laden hoonery or when I’m trying to maximize winter traction.
That could be an issue with how Toyota program their traction control, it’s too aggressive and doesn’t allow enough wheelspin even in Snow mode to maximize acceleration. Other makes or models may or may not have the same issue.
Programming varies A LOT from make and model. I’ve heard that both BMW and Porsche are very in your face when the traction control engages. I’ve read overall praise for GM’s Stabilitrak, as one writer put it, “not stopping the fun until it is no longer fun.”
I know stability control has saved my bacon a couple of times in my life.
Today at the Higashi Fuji Technical Center in Susono, Shizuoka Prefecture, Toyota demonstrated to journalists how to stop a Camry or Prius whose driver is unable to stop due to either unintended acceleration, broken gas pedal, driver stroke, small dog wedged under gas pedal, sending a divorce text to husband, or distraction due to a hooker actively resting on the driver’s lap. While driving at 40 kilometers an hour (25 mph) a car outfitted with sensors and electronics automatically recognized a pedestrian ahead. The driver would have (in this case intentionally) run over the person. The car stopped and the crash test dummy lived to fight traffic deaths another day.
As a result, Toyota is recommending that local police step out in front of out-of-control Toytotas after first checking with vehicular registration ensuring that the vehicle in question had been installed with these safety devices. Then checked with the local Toyota dealership servicing the out-of-control vehicle to ensuring that the vehicle had regular service.
And making sure that the police officer stepping in front of any out-of-control Toyota has his health insurance in order, is ready to retire anyway, and is hated by his fellow officers. The officer stopping the out-of-control Prius or Camry needs to be at least three feet tall, (36″), weigh at least 32 pounds and have a three foot wide waist. The officer should appear to onlookers as a flat, wide pedestrian without eyes, hair or arms.
Or be a Japanese crash test dummy.
Laughter and applause from the audience.
You are batting 1000 today dude!
And just how much does all of this technology add to the cost of the vehicle?
Probably a round a hundred bucks a pound or less.
How much weight does this technology add?
I wish all the other cars on the road had those adaptive driving lights.
I can see this NOT being useful in some countries/situations. I fear night time driving in my wifes country as it’s common to leave items in rural locations in the road so when people stop they can be car jacked. Sometimes there’s no shoulder. If this becomes common, how would that situation be handled? How is this handled in a stick car?