By
EWAN KENNEDY
3 April 2006
Driver inattention is almost certainly the number one cause of car
crashes. The trouble is that it’s impossible to measure so there is no
way of knowing exactly how many people are dying on our road due to
drivers not watching where they are going.
But the big news is that ‘impossible’
may not have been the right word to use in that last paragraph. Safety
engineers at the upmarket Japanese marque, Lexus, are doing their level
best to keep an eye on the driver and make sure the driver keeps an eye
on the road. That’s right, the car can literally watch the driver.
This fascinating fact has arisen through
Lexus publishing advance information on its upcoming new flagship, the
LS460, the replacement for the current Lexus LS430. The new LS460 will
be fitted with a small camera embedded in the steering column to watch
the driver’s face. If it sees that the driver is not looking forward,
and there is danger of a collision, the system will give a gentle dab on
the brakes to grab the dopey driver’s attention.
The Lexus will be aware of the
possibility of a crash because it will constantly be using both radar
and stereo cameras to monitor what's happening in front of the LS460.
These will not only alert a driver who isn’t paying attention, but
also activate what Lexus calls its pre-crash system to pre-tension the
safety belts and even apply the brakes to slow the car if that’s
deemed necessary by the computer.
Another interesting safety feature of the
Lexus LS460 is rearwards looking radar. This can sense something is
coming up too quickly behind the car. And can even prepare the
front-seat headrests for a rear-end crash if it feels that is
inevitable. It does so by moving the headrests forwards and upwards to
offer maximum protection to the driver’s and front passenger’s
heads.
Welcome as these safety features are, I
fervently hope that no one will deliberately drive their Lexus without
looking ahead, relying on their car to keep them out of trouble. Already
far too many drivers are using mobile phones, and even text messages,
while at the wheel and it would be criminal if safety systems such as
those just described were to further encourage this dangerous behaviour.
Lexus is still to release full
information on the new LS460 as it will apply to Australia, or advise us
exactly when the car will go on sale. Therefore not all of the features
described here may be offered to us. Let's hope that they are as there
are potential life-savers in there.
What we do know a this stage is that the
upcoming Lexus LS460 saloon will be powered by a 4.6-litre twin-cam V8
engine delivering about 280 kW (the exact power specification is yet to
be decided) through what Lexus says is the world’s first eight-speed
automatic transmission.
