Friday 11th February 2005

Cruise control to intervene even further

Crash prevention systems will control your vehicle

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Electronics company Bosch has won a prize for its adaptive cruise control. Its new package is to be awarded with an innovation prize by ADAC, the German equivalent of the AA or RAC, in Munich today.

The system works by watching what's around the car, as well as keeping its speed constant. It combines the ABS, the electronic stability programme (ESP) and hydraulic brake assist with the radar sensors of Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), which will in future also be aided by video sensors.

Bosch said it will market predictive safety systems in three stages.

The first stage will allow the system to build up a preventive brake pressure by aligning the brake pads to the brake discs if the radar sensor identifies a critical situation, not noticed by the driver, thus putting the hydraulic brake assist in a state of "alert". If the driver hits the brake, he produces the fastest possible response with optimal deceleration values and the shortest possible stopping distance. If the critical situation is alleviated or the brakes are not applied, the state of alert is cancelled. The system will go into volume production during 2005.

The second generation of Predictive Safety Systems not only alerts the braking system to a critical situation, it also alerts the driver in time to a critical traffic situation and can thus in many cases prevent the accident. To do this, the system may trigger, for example, a short, violent brake jerk. Bosch is planning to start volume production in 2006.

The third stage of upgrading the predictive safety system is by recognising that a crash with the car in front is unavoidable. In this case automatic emergency braking is initiated with maximum vehicle deceleration. This reduces the severity of an accident where the driver has not reacted sufficiently or at all to the preceding warnings. In order to detect with certainty that an impact is unavoidable, other sensors, such as video cameras, must support the radar sensors.

The jury is still out as to whether drivers want this level of intervention and, because of the way that many drivers take up the slack that modern safety systems afford them, it will in fact save that many lives.

[polarbert]

next the computers will be steering for us! bloody technology

[IPAddis]

All that will happen is that your new uber-Merc will brake heavily to avoid the crash and get rammed from behind by the bloke who doesn't have the system.

Usually when there's heavy braking, each car uses up the thinking and braking distance and gets closer to the car in front, sort of like a car's crumple zone. This system would have the effect of a car without a crumple zone, an instant deceleration.

Great when everyone has one, chaos until then!

Ian A.

[paul holroyd]

Hello Mr Smith
here is the bill for wifes front end Tessco car park prang
£120.00 Paint
£90.00 plastic trim
£2500.00 New camera and computer parts
£3000.00 Labour
Total £5710.00 Thank you very much sir have a good day.

[v8nrg]

said:

To do this, the system may trigger, for example, a short, violent brake jerk.

This seems like a great idea!!!
A car that can break test the idiot behind you with out you having to do anything.

said:

The third stage of upgrading the predictive safety system is by recognising that a crash with the car in front is unavoidable.

How can it possibly comprehend if it is unavoidable??
If you are on course to hit an object in front of you … TURN THE BLOODY STERRING WHEEL!

I’m sorry but I think systems like this could be dangerous, they take the decision-making capability away from the driver and also remove the accountability of the driver for any action taken.

[perscott]

To those who feel they can do it all themselves just remember how much ABS has helped save lives. When it came out all those who believed they were wonderful drivers felt they could do better than ABS - and maybe they could if they were not tired, thinking of problems at work or at home AND knew about the black ice round the corner. Which is unlikely. ABS is now totally accepted.

Should we have said that no one can have ABS until everyone has got it because the car can now stop TOO QUICKLY and the car behind may run into it. Don't be silly.

This system will compensate for those of us who don't have Formula One driver reactions and are not thinking totally of our driving and, hopefully, save some lives.

>> Edited by perscott on Friday 11th February 12:52

[britten_mark]

perscott said:

This system will compensate for those of us who don't have Formula One driver reactions and are not thinking totally of our driving and, hopefully, save some lives

Yes, but do you not think it will encourage most people to "nod off" a bit, or get engrossed in another activity (many women drivers I see still feel the need for face-to-face conversation!!).

I just keep thinking of that Father Ted episode where they are all fast asleep in the Cortina doing 60!

[GreenV8S]

If this system enforces a minimum safe gap to the car in front, I'm all for it. There's no way for this system to get a following driver into trouble as long as the following driver also maintains a safe gap. If you don't maintain a safe gap then frankly you're an accident waiting to happen anyway.

[IPAddis]

perscott said:

ABS is now totally accepted.

That's a bit of a sweeeping statement. It's accepted that most cars have it (which is a good thing) but I wouldn't agree that it is so accepted that all cars MUST have it fitted.

perscott said:

Should we have said that no one can have ABS until everyone has got it because the car can now stop TOO QUICKLY and the car behind may run into it. Don't be silly.

No, but it happens! Even with ABS, the driver is in control of the brakes. If he sees that the car behind has more chance of hitting him than the car in front, he can lift. This system won't do that.

As far as I can see, if you have maintained a suitable distance from the car in front and if you are paying the required amount of attention, the system shouldn't be required. If not, you are going to be in an accident at some point and it's unlikely that any amount of electronics is going to stop you.

Also, how does this system cope with drivers cutting in front of you? How can it differentiate that from a car braking suddenly. If someone cuts me up and I want to dab the brakes to maintain braking distance, is the brake assist going to stand on the brakes?

Ian A.

>> Edited by IPAddis on Friday 11th February 13:21

[Rob_the_Sparky]

Ideal tool for those people who don't want to drive...and great for making people fall asleep while driving. Afterall the car will stop you so needn't worry about driving when tired.

[uldis]

IPAddis said:

perscott said: ABS is now totally accepted. That's a bit of a sweeeping statement. It's accepted that most cars have it (which is a good thing) but I wouldn't agree that it is so accepted that all cars MUST have it fitted.

You're right there.
I finally found a car a couple of years ago that stopped the way I wanted, and it does NOT have ABS.

And whenever I buy another sportcar, I would take off the servo and ABS immediately.
Sorry but I don't ever want to lose the threshold braking feeling or get "comfortable" with ABS. I know that my brain can do a better job and want to keep it sharp.

[annodomini2]

IPAddis said:

Also, how does this system cope with drivers cutting in front of you? How can it differentiate that from a car braking suddenly. If someone cuts me up and I want to dab the brakes to maintain braking distance, is the brake assist going to stand on the brakes?

I work a competing company who also makes an ACC system, I have driven cars with it fitted and it does work, although very creepy not to be in control of the vehicle.

[shelsleyf2]

Hmmmm, and how long before the cruise is linked to GPS that identiofies the speed limit and controls the cars max speed for that location.....and maybe if you exceed it will debit your credit card and send the fine direct to the goverment....George Orwell eat your heart out

[sh]

I think this gadget is exactly what the people want - something that let's them pay even less attention to their driving...!!!

[v8thunder]

Right, I'm sticking to DIY Kit Cars from now on. There's no way anything other than what I want will end up in them.

More deferring responsibility away from the motorist and creating bad driving. And what happens when the computer crashes and your cars soars into a pile-up at 100mph? Computers are never failsafe, and just make any resulting damage or repair to anything more expensive.

[lanciachris]

crazy article said:

the radar sensor identifies a critical situation, not noticed by the driver

How exactly is it going to identify a critical situation not noticed by the driver? Lack of reaction? the driver may have noticed, but just not care! what about if the drivers reaction is not in agreement with the computers preferred action? pile of arse all round.

Then again it doesnt look like im ever going to have a new car so not such a worry for me.

[james_j]

I really don't want a car that has all that junk on board.

...and I don't want other drivers around me dumbed down even further with their "safety net" looking after them.

[Jasper Gilder]

Sounds like numpty heaven to me...

[ultimasimon]

a BMW spokesman said:

We are still as of yet, able to find a way to turn the indicators on when necessary

[Sgt^Roc]

paul holroyd said:

Hello Mr Smith here is the bill for wifes front end Tessco car park prang £120.00 Paint £90.00 plastic trim £2500.00 New camera and computer parts £3000.00 Labour Total £5710.00 Thank you very much sir have a good day.

Good morning Sir where would you like to go...but i warn you I wont go to your mother-in-laws again she farts on my seats and upsets my radar

[carl_w]

perscott said:

To those who feel they can do it all themselves just remember how much ABS has helped save lives.

And to you, just remember the Airbus A320 at the 1988 Paris airshow...