Driver assistance systems have the potential to save millions of lives, so it’s no surprise that many automakers are making them standard equipment across their lineup.
The latest is Lexus, who will install its Safety System+ on all 2020MY cars sold in the United States.
The Lexus Safety System+ consists of multiple safety features including a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection. It scans the road ahead of the vehicle and will provide an audible and visual alert if a potential collision is detected. If the driver fails to respond to these warnings, the car will automatically brake itself to prevent a collision or lessen its severity.
The safety suite also includes lane departure alert. Using a high-resolution camera, the system scans the road to find lane markings and determine the vehicle’s position in a lane. If the vehicle begins to make an unintended lane change, the driver will be alerted by audio and visual warnings as well as vibrations transmitted through the steering wheel.
While safety features aren’t terribly sexy, the last two should be welcomed by everyone. First and foremost, dynamic radar cruise control will be standard equipment. It uses a camera and radar senor to automatically adjust the speed of the vehicle to match the flow of traffic.
Intelligent high beam headlights will also come standard on 2020 models. As the name suggests, the headlights will automatically activate the high beam when the road ahead is clear. This improves visibility and the system will automatically revert to low beam if it detects the headlights or taillights of another vehicle.
Lexus saying making the safety suite standard equipment is part of their effort to create a world without crashes. That’s still a long ways away, but the company noted there were nearly 6.5 million crashes in 2017 and many of them were avoidable.
