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L.A. Auto Show: Safety is Front and Center at Show
Nov 20 2008 by Lori Hindman
MotherProofers are always on the lookout for new ways to keep our kids safe in our cars. At this year’s L.A. auto show, car manufacturers are helping us out with lots of new safety features, as well as many that are now standard.
Volvo is famous for its safety features, and it’s continuing that trend with its City Safety System, which can prevent collisions. This new system uses low-speed braking to help your car avoid an impact at speeds less than 18 mph. It uses a sensor mounted to the front windshield to sense obstacles in front of the car, and if there’s an impending crash, the system will start braking for you. City Safety can even bring your car to a complete stop if you’re driving less than 9 mph. At 10–18 mph, the system will slow your car to lessen the impact. This system not only protects people in your car against whiplash, but it looks out for the other guys, too. Everyone benefits! Volvo is also offering enhanced stability control standard in the V70; it’s optional in the XC60 and XC70.
Toyota’s new Venza is the company’s first passenger car to have the Star Safety System standard. The system is a combination of traction and stability control, antilock brakes, brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution, and it’s standard on Toyota’s RAV4, Highlander, 4Runner, Sequoia and Land Cruiser SUVs. These features work together to keep the car on the road and supplement emergency braking. The Venza also has new active head restraints to protect your head and neck in a crash.
Suzuki has added four-wheel disc brakes as standard equipment on its Grand Vitara, and traction and stability control systems are now standard on the SX4 Sport. The Ford Fusion, Lincoln MKX and Mercury Milan all received standard rear cameras and a new blind-spot information system that notifies drivers if a car is hiding in their blind spot. The MyKey technology, a programmable key that can limit the driver’s speed and the radio’s volume, is optional.
Mercedes and Lexus have both added standard pre-collision systems that sense impending impacts and prepare the cars’ braking and restraint systems milliseconds before you need them. Mercedes has a new standard Night View Assist that allows drivers to see 16-19 feet in front of them. The 2009 Lexus RX now has 10 standard airbags, including new driver and passenger knee airbags and rear side-seat airbags. Lexus has also added a standard Automatic High-Beam system that shuts off the high-beam headlights if an oncoming car is sensed.
Safety is a priority for us at MotherProof.com, and it seems like manufacturers at the L.A. auto show agree with us.
If you are attending the LA Auto Show you can demo the Volvo XC60 with City Safe outside on the Concourse Walkway. I was working at the show and had a chance to demo the system, it’s the weirdest feeling sitting in the driver seat and waiting for the car to brake itself. Check it out if you have time.