Vehicle Safety

Safer Vehicles

Accident Avoidance Technologies

A variety of technologies, in addition to a vehicle's handling and braking capabilities, can help drivers avoid accidents. These technologies are generally not necessary for attentive drivers in most road conditions, but may provide added benefits for drivers who become distracted or experience challenging road conditions.

For example, Ford's new Rearview Camera with Guidelines can enhance rear visibility. It uses an exterior camera embedded in the rear of the vehicle that sends images to a video display in the rearview mirror or the navigation system screen. These images can help improve visibility directly behind the vehicle when the driver is in reverse. The camera image is overlaid with lines that mark the width of the vehicle, which makes it easier to gauge distance and navigate in reverse. The system increases visibility in low light by using a low-light-capable camera and high-intensity reverse tail lights. The system not only enhances reverse driving, it can also assist with actions that require reverse maneuverability, such as parallel parking and hitching trailers. This system will be offered on most of Ford's full-size pickups, vans and crossovers – including the new 2009 Ford F-150.

Ford is continuing its development of accident avoidance features that use forward-looking radar and vision sensors. These features are being developed to help warn drivers of potentially dangerous situations, such as unintended lane departures, pedestrians in the roadway or following a vehicle too closely. These technologies are being developed by a joint team in Dearborn, Michigan; Merkenich, Germany; and Gothenburg, Sweden. Some of these features are now available on selected Ford and Volvo vehicles.

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), for example, helps drivers maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of them. It is one of the innovations now available on the 2009 MY Lincoln MKS, as well as the Volvo XC60, S80, XC70 and V70, and the Ford Mondeo, S-MAX and Galaxy. While primarily a comfort and convenience feature, Adaptive Cruise Control also contributes to more controlled driving when traffic flow is uneven. The ACC module is mounted at the front of the vehicle and uses radar to measure the gap and closing speed to the vehicle ahead. The system automatically adjusts the speed of the car to help maintain a pre-set distance from the vehicle in front. Ford was the first manufacturer to launch radar-based ACC several years ago.

On Volvo vehicles, Forward Collision Warning with Auto Brake comes as part of the ACC package and uses radar technology to help avoid or reduce the effects of rear-end collisions. The area in front of the car is monitored by a radar sensor. If the equipped vehicle approaches another moving vehicle from behind and the driver does not react, a visual and audible warning signal is activated. The system is designed to provide sufficient time for the driver to react and avoid or reduce the hazard. If the risk of collision increases despite the warning, Auto Brake is activated. This system supports driver-initiated braking by pre-charging the brakes and preparing for panic brake application, and then brakes automatically if a collision remains imminent. A similar system will be available on the 2010 Ford Taurus and Lincoln MKS.

The next generation of these preventative safety technologies was unveiled this year at the Detroit Auto Show on the Volvo S60 Concept vehicle. The S60 Concept featured Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake and pedestrian detection. This advanced radar- and camera-based technology reacts when a pedestrian walks in front of a car, and will activate the car's full braking power if the driver does not respond to the danger. The radar has a widened field of vision, which allows it to detect the moving pattern of a pedestrian. The automatic full braking power – a first in the industry – is an emergency measure that is designed to activate when a collision with a pedestrian or vehicle is imminent. The S60 Concept also included an upgraded Adaptive Cruise Control system that maintains a set time gap to the vehicle in front all the way down to a standstill (rather than to 30 km/h, as at present). These next-generation technologies will be introduced on the all-new Volvo S60 in 2010.

Driver Alert Control and Lane Departure Warning are two other forward-looking-radar-based features recently launched on the Volvo XC60, S80, V70 and XC70. These systems are designed to help address driver fatigue, which is a traffic safety concern worldwide. The Driver Alert Control and Lane Departure Warning features use a forward-looking camera to continuously monitor the road and keep track of where the car is in relation to the lane markings. The system is designed to sense if the driver loses concentration or the vehicle's wheels move outside the lane markings without an obvious reason, such as use of a turn signal. In that case the system provides a warning chime to alert the driver. This patented system has been tested both on roads and in simulators and is unique among vehicle manufacturers.

Volvo has also introduced a unique new and award-winning system called City Safety, which will help drivers avoid the sort of low-speed collisions that are common in slow-moving urban traffic. If a driver is about to collide with the vehicle in front and does not react in time, the City Safety system is designed to activate the brakes to slow the vehicle. City Safety is active at up to 30 km/h.

City Safety works via an optical laser system integrated behind the top of the front windscreen. It can monitor vehicles up to six meters from the front of the car. If the vehicle in front suddenly brakes and City Safety senses that a collision is imminent, it pre-charges the brakes to help the driver avoid an accident by braking or letting the driver steer away from a potential collision. The City Safety feature allows driver-initiated interactions (steering or braking) to override the City Safety system. Volvo introduced City Safety as standard equipment on the Volvo XC60 in late 2008.

Another important Ford safety innovation is the next generation of adaptive headlamps. With a unique two-part optics package, the Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFLS) is an industry breakthrough that allows drivers to see better at night around curves in the road. Most cornering, or swivel, lighting systems are one-piece modules that turn as a single unit with the vehicle as it approaches a curve. In contrast, the AFLS incorporates two independent light sources: a high-output halogen projector for the main beam and a secondary row of light-emitting diodes that illuminates almost instantaneously, distributes the light beam evenly and consumes less power than conventional lights. The system allows drivers to take corners and curves more safely, and to consume less energy while doing so. The AFLS was unveiled on a concept vehicle at the 2006 North American International Auto Show and is now available on a number of vehicles across the Ford fleet, both in North America and Europe.

Finally, Ford's industry-leading innovation known as Roll Stability Control® (RSC) continues to give drivers more confidence in emergency situations. Ford and its global brands have built more than four million vehicles globally with electronic stability control systems. To date, more than one million of those vehicles feature AdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control, which actively measures and helps control both yaw and roll movements. RSC uses two gyroscopic sensors to detect when a driver corners too fast or swerves sharply to avoid an obstacle. It then applies pressure to select brake(s) to help the driver maintain control and thus reduce the risk of a rollover event.

Roll Stability Control was first introduced on the 2003 Volvo XC90 and is now standard equipment on the Ford Flex, Explorer, SportTrac, Expedition, Edge, Escape and F-150, as well as E-Series Wagons equipped with the 5.4L engine. It is also standard equipment on the Mercury Mountaineer and Mariner, the Lincoln Navigator and MKX, and the Volvo XC60. Ford has developed a next-generation regenerative braking system for the 2009 Escape Hybrid and Mariner Hybrid that is compatible with RSC.