A new package of safety options available on Lexus vehicles includes a crash detection system employing infrared radar and two high definition cameras, warning drivers of impending obstacles such as cars, pedestrians, animals and objects, possibly before the drivers would have seen them. The system also applies pressure to the brakes and steering wheel to assist the driver in avoiding the obstacle. This safety package costs about $6,500 and can be added to vehicles such as the Lexus LS460, which costs approximately $70,000.
Other safety features currently available on new Lexus vehicles include an adaptive cruise control system, which adjusts the vehicle’s speed in accordance with the flow of traffic; a blind spot detection with rear cross traffic alerts; guided lane assistance that alerts drivers if the vehicle is drifting; and a driver attention monitoring system designed to alert drowsy or inattentive drivers.
Much like they introduced air bags and electronic stability control systems, many automakers are enhancing their vehicle’s safety features with optional safety technology before government regulations require them as standard features. Officials at the National Transportation Safety Board, however, have expressed concerns that these features are unavailable to motorists who can’t afford their hefty price tags.
Executives at Toyota, which manufactures the Lexus series of vehicles, have replied that these technologies are expensive for automakers to develop, necessitating that consumers who purchase the most expensive vehicle models become the earliest adopters of these features. As the technology becomes more common and easier to mass-produce, some auto executives say, it will be more affordable and offered as an option for a wider variety of vehicle models.
According to a study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety examining accident data between 2004 to 2008, approximately 33 percent of fatal accidents that occurred within this time period and approximately 20 percent of injury accidents could have been prevented or their severity decreased had the vehicles involved all been equipped with blind spot detection, adaptive headlights, lane departure warnings, and forward collision alert systems.
Another study conducted by researchers from the Highway Loss Data Institute, property damage liability claims for the model year 2010 Volvo XC60 sport utility vehicles equipped with automatic braking for rear collision avoidance are more than one fourth lower when compared to similar vehicle models without this technology.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently conducting studies to determine the effects of these types of safety technology, but many auto safety experts say that federal regulations requiring these features to be installed in all new vehicles may still be years away.
