With safety being the most important feature on a car automakers are ramping up to deliver even more advanced safety features standard on all vehicles.
Automakers vowed to add standard equipment such as rear-facing cameras and lane-departure warning systems to many new models. Honda Motor Co. said it will add forward-collision warning and lane-departure warning systems standard to all of its vehicles as it rolls out new models. The new Accord, set to roll out this year will be the first Honda vehicle to have these features.
Honda also plans to add a larger expanded-view driver’s mirror, larger and stronger air bags, and rearview back-up cameras as standard on all cars.
“Starting this fall with the new Accord, we’ll begin applying new ejection mitigation air bag technology with a wider deployment profile of the side curtain air bag,” said American Honda Motor President John Mendel. These new air bags will be added two years in advance of new safety regulations to take effect in 2015.
Ford Motor Co. says its all-new 2013 Fusion will have several new safety features, including a lane-departure system. It uses a small, forward-facing camera behind the inside rearview mirror to monitor lane lines in order to determine if the car is on course. “The system will alert a driver if drowsiness or erratic lane-keeping is detected. The second element warns a driver with a steering-wheel vibration if the Fusion drifts too close to lane markings,” Ford said.
David Strickland, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration praised the automakers’ efforts. “Advanced safety technologies like lane-departure warning, and others have enormous potential to save lives and prevent injuries on our nation’s roadways,” Strickland said. “It’s encouraging to see so many manufacturers increasingly offering these safety features as standard equipment on their vehicles.”