Long live the road trip! According to recent survey, a large majority of British Columbia motorists plan on taking a driving vacation this summer.

Fatigue on long drives, especially on straight highway stretches, can result in inadequate following distances and inattentiveness on the part of the driver.

While most drivers recognize the important of planning ahead such as servicing a vehicle before a road trip, auto manufacturers have also been adding new technology to their vehicles to make driving easier but more importantly safer for everyone.

These latest driver aids are the opening volleys towards a semi-autonomous driving future — one that promises increased speed, safety, and efficiency, as well as reduced fatigue.

In this final part of our three-part series, we’ll be taking a closer look at lane departure warning (LDW) systems, designed to help you safely stay in your lane.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the USA, LDW systems, if used properly, could save 7,529 lives per year in the USA.

According to a November 2009 study done by the US National Highway Transportation Administration, about 70% of all single-vehicle highway fatalities in the United States occur in run-off-road accidents.

Since run-off-the-road accidents occur when a vehicle leaves its lane and drives off the roadway, lane departure warning systems have the potential to help prevent many fatal accidents.

The technology behind it

Similar to adaptive cruise control (ACC) systems, lane departure warning systems are designed to prevent, or at least reduce, the incidences of high speed accidents on highways.

In a nutshell, LDW is a driver-aid system based on an integrated video camera that is mounted behind or near the rearview mirror.

This camera relays the video images to a computer module where it is analysed for lane markings. The system then identifies the lane markings and tracks their position permanently.

Some more advanced LDW systems are also able to help you take corrective action via the electronic stability control system or the electric power steering system. Like many other driver-aid systems, the system can be disabled by the driver via a switch on the instrument cluster.

What happens when I’m about to cross the line?

To preclude unnecessary warnings, most LDW systems are automatically deactivated in city traffic, at speeds typically below 70 km/hr.

Should your vehicle stray outside of the limits of the lane without the turn signal activated, the system provides a visual, audible, or even a tactile warning. LDW systems also take your vehicle’s speed into account meaning that if you are travelling at higher speeds, the warning is provided earlier rather than later, allowing you adequate time to correct your steering input before accidentally crossing into an adjacent lane.

Infiniti’s lane-departure warning system notifies the driver via a flashing light and a warning chime if it detects the vehicle drifting out of its lane without the turn signal activated. Honda’s does the same with a warning light in the middle of the speedometer.

BMW’s Intelligent Lane Departure Warning system kicks it up a notch. If you attempt to change lanes without first activating your turn signal, the system vibrates the steering wheel to simulates the sensation of driving on a rumble strip. This is sure to get your attention!

BMW’s system also provides a warning icon on the vehicle’s heads-up display, if so equipped.
 

System limitations

Thanks to higher resolution cameras and more advanced control unit algorithms, the latest LDW systems are more capable than ever. However, even the most advanced systems have their limitations.

Since these systems rely on visual information to track the relative position of a vehicle within its lane, anything that obscures the lane markers may render the system inactive. This includes inclement weather conditions such as heavy rain, fog, or snow. Excessive glare from the sun can also disable the system.

Regardless, by warning the driver, or even taking automatic corrective actions, these systems are able to prevent many collisions and run-off-road accidents.

Long live the road trip! According to recent survey, a large majority of British Columbia motorists plan on taking a driving vacation this summer.

Fatigue on long drives, especially on straight highway stretches, can result in inadequate following distances and inattentiveness on the part of the driver.

While most drivers recognize the important of planning ahead such as servicing a vehicle before a road trip, auto manufacturers have also been adding new technology to their vehicles to make driving easier but more importantly safer for everyone.

These latest driver aids are the opening volleys towards a semi-autonomous driving future. One that promises increased speed, safety, and efficiency, as well as reduced fatigue.

In this second of a three-part series, we’ll be taking a closer look at active blind spot warning systems, designed to help drivers change lanes safely.

Although luxury cars are the most likely to have blind spot monitoring systems, the equipment prices are dropping rapidly. These days even inexpensive compact SUVs, such as the AJAC award-winning Mazda CX-5 compact SUV, are optionally available with such systems.

The technology behind it

A typical blind spot monitoring system uses short-range radar units or ultrasonic sensors mounted on the sides of the car. These sensors are usually located in the vicinity of the external rear view mirrors or near the rear bumper.

Most of these systems monitor traffic in a zone which extends from around 70 metres behind the car to a point just ahead of the driver. This, of course, includes the so-called “blind spot” area.

When one of these sensors “notices” another vehicle getting too friendly with your car, the computer flashes visual warning lights within your peripheral vision to warn of a vehicle in your blind spot. Some vehicles may also supplement the visual warning with an audio warning chime. On certain vehicles, such as in some BMWs, a tactile alert is also provided to the driver in the form of steering wheel vibration.

Active blindspot warning systems with cross-traffic alert

On the most advanced systems, typically found in luxury marques, the car can even provide steering wheel guidance via the electronic power steering system, or by gently clamping down on either side of the rear brakes to pull the vehicle back in line within the safety zone of the previous lane.

Other systems, such as Audi’s Side Assist or Jaguar Land Rover’s Blind Spot Monitor, also include a cross traffic alert function. By measuring the distance and speed of vehicles approaching from behind, both these systems are able to calculate whether or not a change of lane would be hazardous.

If the driver activates the turn signal to indicate a lane change manoeuvre, a warning light in the mirror flashes quickly and intensely to signify that the action may be potentially dangerous if a vehicle is approaching too quickly from behind.
 

Honda LaneWatch

While Honda does not currently offer a traditional ultrasonic or radar-based blind spot warning system on their vehicles, they do offer a lower cost camera-based system that works extremely well.

For more information, read my previous article on Honda’s LaneWatch system.

Proper driver attention still required

No safety system or combination of such systems can prevent all accidents, and it’s important to note that while useful as driver aids, these systems are not a replacement for safe and attentive driving.

Though these systems are designed make the occupants of these cars “safer,” the stark reality is each vehicle is a still several-ton, high-speed projectile of ever increasing power and terminal velocity.

Long live the road trip! According to recent BCAA survey, a large majority of British Columbia motorists plan on taking a driving vacation this summer.

Despite the price of gas hovering above $1.35 per litre, more than half of B.C. drivers surveyed refused to let the high gas prices deter them from hitting the road this summer.

Fatigue on long drives, especially on straight highway stretches, can result in inadequate following distances and inattentiveness on the part of the driver. Conversely, unexpected abrupt traffic standstills are the most common causes of rear-end collisions.

While most drivers recognize the important of planning ahead, such as servicing a vehicle before a road trip, auto manufacturers have also been adding new technology to their vehicles to make driving on the highway easier and, more importantly, safer for everyone.

In this three-part series, I’ll be taking a closer look at three of the latest and most popular driver aid systems.

To start us off, let’s take a closer look at Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) systems.

Initially launched in 1999 in the $120,000+ Mercedes-Benz S-Class flagship luxury sedan, ACC is an advanced cruise control system that typically uses a laser or radar sensor setup to monitor traffic ahead.

Over 16 years since its debut, the price of this safety and convenience feature has come down dramatically and the technology is no longer limited to just luxury vehicles.

The technology behind it

ACC measures distance as a function of speed and can monitor the traffic ahead while ignoring stationary objects such as road signs and telephone poles. The system slows down or speeds your car up automatically to keep pace with the car in front of you at a set distance and maximum speed. More sophisticated systems can even apply the brakes to slow the car down to a dead stop.

ACC can also determine how fast the vehicle is approaching the vehicle ahead. For example, when approaching a lead vehicle at a high rate of speed, the system will activate sooner than when approaching slower.

Two types of systems available:

A “full range” system uses long-range radar/laser to see vehicles up to 600 feet ahead, which is equivalent to about six to seven seconds of lead time at highway speeds. This system also uses short-range radar/laser for a closer distances out to about 100 feet, or one second of lead time.

A second less expensive type of system is called “partial ACC,” and only works at up to 600 feet ahead.

As it uses both short and long range sensors, full range systems can also follow cars at low speeds during bumper-to-bumper traffic, helping the driver to creep forward without significant intervention of the throttle or brake pedals.

In contrast, partial systems can only operate at highway speeds and don’t necessarily have the ability to apply full braking power.

A few examples:

Infiniti’s Intelligent Cruise Control system is an example of a full range system that uses laser-based sensors located in the front bumper to detect and control vehicle speed up to 145 km/hr.

Infiniti’s system can not only maintain a set distance to the vehicle in front, but also intervene to prevent a collision even if it means applying full braking effort to bring the car to a complete stop. The system is sophisticated enough to see not just one car ahead, but the car in front of that car too.

BMW boasts that their full range system uses high-performance radar sensors that are heated in cold weather, ensuring year-round operation. On curves, BMW’s Active Cruise Control even uses data from the Dynamic Stability Control and navigation systems to calculate whether the cruise speed needs to be adjusted, and to determine whether vehicles in the radar’s field are in the same or a neighbouring lane!

Mazda’s Radar Cruise Control, in contrast, is a partial ACC system that uses millimetre wave radar to detect the relative speed and distance to the car ahead. It then automatically adjusts and maintains a safe following distance from the car in front.

Like Infiniti’s system, it is designed to relieve some of the burden of the driver on long drives and on highways. However because it is a less sophisticated partial ACC system, it does not have the stop-and-go traffic creep feature that the Infiniti’s full range system offers, nor can it apply 100% braking effort.

Still no substitute for driver attention

While these systems are designed to reduce the risk of accidents by maintaining a safe following distance from the car in front, the systems have their limitations.

In poor weather conditions, snow can obstruct the laser sensors leaving them “blind.” Laser-based systems are typically also affected by other inclement weather conditions such as heavy rain and fog. Because radar-based systems use radio waves (rather than light), they’re more forgiving in poor weather conditions.

No safety system or combination of such systems can prevent all accidents, and it’s important to note that while useful as driver aids, these systems are not a replacement for safe and attentive driving.

Regardless, if you do a lot of highway miles or long trips where your reflexes are dulled from long consecutive hours of driving, or if your commute involves rush hour traffic, you may want to consider a car with ACC for your next vehicle!

 

 

Various types of anti-idling provisions have been written into Canadian municipal by-laws for at least three decades. In the Greater Vancouver Regional District, both the City of Vancouver and City of North Vancouver have added amendments to their Street and Traffic Bylaws prohibiting a motor vehicle stopped on a city street from operating its engine for more than 3 minutes during a 60 minute period.

 

 

But regardless of these city bylaws, the rumble of idling cars at Canadian intersections is a sound that is fading away progressively as more automakers are using engine start-stop systems to boost fuel efficiency at a relatively low cost.

Also known as micro-hybrid systems, start-stop systems have been very popular in Europe since the 1980’s due to their relatively high fuel prices. Today, every second car in Europe is fitted with a start-stop system. However it is still a bit more of a foreign concept here in North America.

While there are no real Canadian stats, according to Argonne National Labs in the USA, if each car in the US idles just 6 minutes per day, about 3 billion gallons of fuel are wasted annually. This adds up to more than $10 billion a year spent going nowhere.

How the start-stop system works

Start-stop engines work by shutting down a vehicle’s engine at idle and immediately restarting it again when the driver presses on the throttle pedal or lifts off the brake or clutch pedals. This system, which is already a feature of every conventional hybrid vehicle on the market, has begun appearing as stand-alone features on conventionally powered cars as well.

 

 

In fact according to Johnson Controls, a major global manufacturer and supplier of the advanced batteries used in stop-start systems, up to 40% of all new cars and light trucks sold in 2015 could be equipped with engine start-stop systems.

But start-stop systems are a lot more intelligent than simple on-off switches. When the car comes to a complete stop, the engine control unit that shuts the engine down will also pre-position the starter motor, transmission, and fuel injector system to provide immediate engine restarts of half a second or less.

Some start-stop systems even boast to re-ignite the engine in a quarter of a second, leaving virtually no lag at all.

What about heating and air conditioning?

Full hybrid vehicles use electric heating and air conditioning systems that aren’t dependent on the car’s internal combustion engine. However, most A/C systems also use power from the engine to run their compressors.

For vehicles with stand-alone start-stop systems, most manufacturers have developed computer control logic that maintains the cabin temperature for up to 2 minutes when the engine is stopped. This is typically the maximum time of a long traffic stop.

After that, the system restarts the engine to keep the climate system working and the cabin temperature comfortable.

Beefed up components

While start-stop systems aren’t terribly hard on the engines, they do demand a lot on the vehicles’ batteries and starter motors. While a conventional car may be started only 3 or 4 times a day, a vehicle with a start-stop system may be started several dozen times a day, depending on traffic conditions.

As such, the starter motor is beefed up with much heavier duty components to handle the added wear and tear of frequent starting.

The battery in a vehicle equipped with a start-stop system also has to maintain climate, audio, and lighting systems each time the vehicle shuts down. As a result, non-hybrid vehicles with start-stop systems tend to use a 12-volt battery called an absorbed glass mat (AGM) battery which can be recharged up to 5 times faster and deeply discharged with no damage.

Consumer savings

With gas prices creeping around the $1.50/litre mark these days, anything that can cut down on fuel costs are welcomed by most consumers.

While start-stop systems are included in the overall price premium for hybrid vehicles, industry analysts say that their actual cost is only between $300-$400.

At this price and a 3-8% improvement in fuel efficiency, a start-stop system on a conventional non-hybrid vehicle could pay itself in only three years or less, depending on the amount of driving you do per year. This is a payback period that most consumers find quite acceptable.

Consumer Reports validated these claims with a 1 mpg improvement in their BMW 328i test vehicle, which accounted for a 5.3% improvement in fuel economy.
 

Availability on vehicles sold in the OpenRoad Auto Group family

• All Honda Hybrid vehicles
• All Toyota Hybrid vehicles
• All Lexus Hybrid vehicles
• All Infiniti Hybrid vehicles
• All MINI vehicles
• BMW 3-series, 4-series, 5-series, 7-series, X3, X4, X5, X6
• Audi A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, Q7

 

 

A recent study by the U.S. Department of Energy has found that ventilated seats can help to increase fuel efficiency.

How the technology works

Seat ventilation is a feature that is offered in many luxury cars today. Advertised under a variety of names such as “climate comfort”, “ventilated”, or “air conditioned” seats, depending on the manufacturer, this feature has now also started trickling down to many non-luxury brand vehicles.

Non-luxury models including the Hyundai Sonata, Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota Avalon, Toyota Sequoia, Toyota Tundra, Nissan Pathfinder, Honda Odyssey all offer this feature.

The system works by using a clever combination of perforated leather seating surfaces and small fans integrated into the seats. Some systems also incorporate a micro cooling element, much like an air conditioner.

 

 

While the number of fans and the exact system design varies depending on the auto manufacturer, all of them work on the same principle. They draw in air from the cooler, lower area of the passenger compartment and transfer it uniformly to the seat cushion and back rest.

These fans create air flow, at adjustable intensities, through the fine perforations in the leather. This quickly cools the surfaces of the seats to a pleasant temperature, even if the vehicle has been heated by an intense amount of sunlight for a long period of time. The finely perforated leather upholstery absorbs perspiration to create a pleasant microclimate all-round – in effect, the seats ´breathe.´

A standard car seat blocks your body’s built-in cooling system. Ordinarily you eject heat through your pores in the form of water vapour, which carries the heat invisibly into the air.

 

 

Having a seat pressing against your back and bottom prevents this water vapour from escaping, causing it to condense into sticky sweat. It’s like wearing a jacket in hot weather.

But the gently circulating air of a ventilated seat carries away your body heat and helps to keep you cooler and your clothes drier during warmer months.

On some vehicles, the heated and ventilated functions can even be used simultaneously, circulating the seat heating more quickly. This is an added benefit on cold or damp days as the dual function helps to dry off clothes or keep you warm and dry as quickly as possible.

How does this help to reduce fuel consumption?

By employing thermal comfort measuring tools and subjective tests, the U.S. Department of Energy’s researchers were able to measure occupants’ thermal sensation with ventilated seats.

 

 

Their tests concluded that because the ventilated seats keep vehicle occupants cooler, they consequently reduce the use of the vehicle’s air conditioning system to achieve the desired level of comfort.

So by confining the cooled air directly to the spot where the hot driver (or passenger) is sitting, air-conditioned seats use energy more efficiently than the air conditioners that cool the entire interior of the car. They don’t completely eliminate fuel use and pollution, but they minimize it.

“If all passenger vehicles had ventilated seats, we estimate there could be a 7.5% reduction in national air conditioning fuel use,” says John Rugh, project leader for NREL’s vehicle ancillary loads reduction project.

Such a reduction would translate to about 522 million gallons (1.97 billion L) of fuel saved annually in the USA alone, he says.

So while it’s not quite as nice as jumping into a swimming pool on a hot day, this latest technology not only helps to keep you cool but your cash in your wallet too. Look for it on the next vehicle you test drive!