Safety

Must Have Safety Features in Car

April 17, 2021August 7, 2021 VD

Following are top 10 safety features that should have been offered even in base variants of entry level cars

Tyre Pressure monitoring system

Properly inflated tires help in the best performance, the best fuel economy, reduce blow out and extend tire life. TPMS stands for Tire Pressure monitoring system that consist of sensors that go in each of car wheel and They tell driver about car tire current pressure. When TPMS check 25% reduction in tire pressure it illuminated light on dashboard. In advance countries like USA; TPMS is a mandatory installment for all new cars after year 2008. If your car has TPMS sensors and that is five years old its time to replace sensors.

Headrest

Headrest prevent whiplash injury. Head rest quickly catches head during emergency. Whiplash injury occur when head is lag behind the body and neck is not able to pull the head along. A lot of cars have movement or adjustment that will move the headrest or just tilt.

Rear parking sensors

The rear parking sensors helps to enhance driver alertness by detecting object close to vehicle while parking. There are sensors in all four corners of the vehicle that can detects object within 32 inches in rear; the rear center sensor can detect objects about 43 inches. Audible alters are issued when objects are detected. The moderate beeping occurs when rear center sensor detects objects between 43 and 32 inches of the vehicle. Beeping becomes more rapid when any sensor detects an object within 32 inches to 22 inches. Objects between 32 inches and 18 inches trigger even quicker beeping and it becomes continuous when objects are 18 inches or less from sensor.

AirBag

D Pedal

ABS with EBD

ABS prevents wheel lock up and delivers improved steering control during hard braking. ABS helps tire to maintain better grip on road during difficult stops and helps with better grip to stop the vehicle more effectively. Tire steer better too. A skidding tire has less braking and cornering capability than a rolling tire. A skidding tire generates very little cornering force hence ABS help to improve driver’s ability to stop and steer at the same time.

EBD reduces brake pressure at lightly loaded wheels that are more prone to skid. When driver steps on the brake pedal during a straight ahead stop; the vehicle weight transfers forward to front wheels; when driver steps brake pedal while cornering, the vehicle weight transfers to the outside wheels in both cases momentum shifts weights and reduces braking grip on a specific set of wheels with less vehicle weight. ABS wheel-based sensors are designed to detect this weight difference before it turns into full fledge skid and began to reduce pressure to the less loaded wheels. With EBD, the brakes can be modulated more precisely to keep brake force at wheels to the most traction and maintain vehicle stability.

Manual Antiglare Mirror

Nighttime driving can be stressful for small car drivers. Headlight glare from rear view mirror can reduce visibility, cause fatigue and discomfort. Antiglare mirror can help diminish eye strain and improve night time driving safety. Antiglare mirrors are design to reduce light intensity from vehicle behind you.

ISOFIX Child Mount

It is a standardized international car set fitting system. It was first developed in 1997 and made standard in all cars in year 2006. ISOFIX makes installing car seat simple, easy and quick. ISOFIX latch on specially designed anchor points and metal clip at base of seat of the car. ISOFIX also comes with antitipping and anti-rotational device to provide better stability. Top tether is a secured belt that attaches to car top tether anchor point which is either on boot floor or seat back. These are universal ISOFIX car seat. There are semi universal ISOFIX car seats that support leg of foot prop that rest on floor of the car. ISOFIX provides more direct and rigid connection by attaching chassis of the vehicle. It also reduces risk of incorrect installation making safest way to secure your child in the car.

Emergency Stop Signal

The emergency stop signal feature detects the emergency or panic braking condition and warns trailing vehicle by making brake lights and hazard lights blink. During panic braking brake lamps will blink based on vehicle speed followed by hazard lamps blinks to warn oncoming traffic. This helps reduce the chance of rear collision during emergency or panic braking.

Seatbelt Pretensioner with force limiter

Recent advancement in seatbelt technology have resulted in more sophisticated technology that enhances occupant protection while helping reduce injury from system itself. Pretensioners automatically retracts the seat belts and securing occupant instantly during sever deceleration. The aim is to control occupant movement within the cabin space while ensuring belts are comfortable in everyday use. To avoid injury to the occupants by seatbelt themselves force limiter systems were used. Force limiter system come into play when seatbelt pressure applied to occupant predetermined level at that point limiter allows the belt to extend to help reduce the impact on occupant chest. In serious collision when SRS airbag may deploy the pretensioner activates with airbag after a signal is received from SRS sensor assembly. Force limiter reduce the load applied to occupant’s chest. Combined these systems help comfortable airbag deployment during front collision. As an added steps vehicle are equipped with adjustable height seat belts, they should adjust correctly for occupant of different heights to maximize safety.

Speed Sensing Auto Lock & Unlock

It is a very important safety feature. Car gets automatically locked when it gets speed of 15 to 20 kmph. Also all doors and boot automatically unlocked if any of these conditions are met, The car is stand still and key is removed from the ignition, If any one of the door is opened from inside, In event of an accident the airbags have been triggered. Automatic unlocking gives access to the emergency crew or people nearby to help occupants in an emergency situation.

Car Safety Trends in India

April 10, 2021April 11, 2021 VD

Most modern cars are already safe enough. Automobile industry is constantly striving for building safer cars and is also a result of safety evolutions. Modern cars are made safer than ever before by modern computer with extensive experience in designing, equipment and regulations to minimize the crash incidence and its consequences. How car safety have evolved from just metal boxes to what we have today, let us understand.

Early cars were also equipped with safety features like brakes and lights. Those cars were not manufactured for high speed. Brakes were just a wooden stick. Then crash avoidance systems were used by companies which included mirrors, reflectors and signal lights. Hand operated windscreen wipers were installed in cars, Electric windscreen wipers offered in 1926.

Research and development from World War was used in automobile manufacturing such as infrastructure and improved materials that made the car stronger.

Car safety glass introduced in all Ford cars as standard feature to protect passengers. During 30s and early 40s Era, Companies like Chrysler, Plymouth and Dodge added features like rounded door handles, Rubber windscreen wiper. Standard disc brakes were first introduced in 1949. Ford introduced optional lap belts. Anti-Lock braking system was invented in 1958 to make braking more efficient and faster. Volvo introduced three point safety belts in 1959 which was a major breakthrough in history of automobile safety.

In 1960s, Padded dashboard was installed in car to reduce face and chest injuries during crash. Head restrain used for front and rear passenger seat to protect occupants from whiplash in rear-end collision. Car companies build a super strong cabin while designing front and rear section to withstand as much impact as possible. Crash dummies were borrowed from aerospace industry. These dummies measured the force of collision and this showed that the car cabin was sufficiently strong but the controls on the occupants were not and this leads to introduction of passive restraints or Airbag.

New car assessment program was also introduced in 70s. 1978 Mercedes-Benz became first car company to install four wheel multi-channel antilock braking system. The First airbag was installed in production vehicles in 1980. Centrally mounted third brake light became mandate in early 80s. In 1987 Traction control used to prevent loss of traction. In 90s, Volvo introduced side airbag. In 1991 Volvo created side impact collision system helps passenger protect against injury.

In 90s and early 21st century computer continue to provide great support to automotive industry. 1996 Kia Sportage added knee airbag feature which was located just below steering wheel to provide protection during crash. Same year rain sensing wipers were invented. Modern cars were fitted with computer inside it. Citroen developed an intelligent anti-skid system which helps driver a level of control while driving in ice and snow condition. Electronic stability control was invented by Mercedes Benz with help from Bosch. 2005 Lane departure warning feature was first used by Citroen. Automobile manufacturers keep on inventing new safety features like Blind spot monitoring system (20017), Autonomous breaking (2008), Pedestrian detection (2015) and V2V V2I Communication (2018). As technology is increasing less and less human intervention will be required. This is giving relaxed driving experience but also removes most unpredictable events on the roads.

In India ABS, Airbag and rear parking sensors has become mandatory fitment in car from in year 2019. Car manufacturers started installing ABS in all models after April’18. By 2022-23 Electronic stability control and autonomous emergency braking shall become mandatory fitment.

Why Active Safety System is Overrated…………..is it really important?

January 25, 2021September 18, 2021 VD

Everybody is talking about active safety systems of passenger cars right from companies’ websites, sales representatives, automobile journalist, auto enthusiasts etc. Let’s understand what exactly an active safety measure is?

Demand for automotive safety measures is increasing in emerging markets like India because of the changing norms of road safety, consumer awareness and increasing vehicle population. The demand is increasing on the back of rising risk of road fatalities and consumer demand.

In simple words; Active safety measures support drivers to prevent an accident. To my mind Active safety system is very important as it helps in collision avoidance and mitigation by providing advance warning or by providing the driver with additional assistance in steering/controlling the vehicle. Since the system remains active when a vehicle is moving hence it is called as active safety. Many active safety systems interpret singles from various sensors with the help of computers so as to support the driver to control the vehicle better.

There are various other examples of active safety like Antilock Braking system, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Good Visibility of driver side, Low noise level in cabin, Clarity of instrument console and Warning symbols, Head–up display, Good handling, Good road grip, Chassis assist, Intelligent speed adaptation, Traction control, Collision warning and avoidance, Adaptive cruise control and Tire pressure monitoring are also considered as active safety systems.

In India;, features like Antilock Braking System and Electronic Brake Force Distribution are not restricted only to luxury cars; these features are now mandatory for all passenger cars.

Let’s see when India will surpass Europe safety norms.

Lets have a look at advanced Active safety features which are available currently only in luxury cars/SUVs.

Autonomous Emergency Braking(AEB)

Autonomous emergency Braking(AEB): AEB system provides warning to driver in case driver does not respond to avoid or minimize the impact of an accident and also helps with sufficient braking and ultimately stops the car to avoid collision. The AEB system can automatically detect a potential forward collision and assist the driver by providing a warning. The system then automatically activates the braking system to decelerate the vehicle to avoid collision.

Adaptive Cruise Control(ACC)

The ACC system can automatically adjust vehicle speed to maintain safe distance between your car and from the vehicle ahead. System slows down or speeds up the vehicle automatically. Now days ACC systems are also linked with collision avoidance systems to alert the driver during emergency situations.

Blind Spot Monitoring System(BSMS)

BSMS automatically warns drivers during critical situations while changing lanes on freeways. Blind spot detection watches vehicles moving behind as well as both left and right of the driver. This system was initially developed by Volvo and used cameras to detect anything that was approaching the vehicle. Modern systems use radar that are placed in the rear bumper of cars. Some car manufacturers even use sensors that monitor rear surroundings of cars. When the driver turns on an indicator if an adjacent vehicle is approaching; system automatically shows a warning light either on A pillar or ORVM.

Lane Keep Assist

The Lane Keep Assist or lane departure warning system provides brief gentle inputs when driver’s unintentional drifting of lane. Warning does not occur when the driver intentionally turns the indicator on and turns steering for normal lane change. If the vehicle unintentionally enters another lane, the system activates a visual alert on the dashboard or an audible alert or vibration of a steering wheel.

Parking Assistant System

The parking assistance system can automatically park the car. The Park Assist system is one of the most advanced systems currently available in high end luxury cars. This system enable car to steer, accelerate and brake itself to park without any effort of the driver. This system can even judge adequate parking space. This system uses camera and sensors to analyze precise parking space. Some advance parking system can park automatically even when driver standing outside the vehicle. Some parking assist system uses multiple ultrasonic sensors placed front and back of the car. In some cars when vehicle is moving at less than 5 mile per hour if vehicle detect any object within 8 ft or 2.4 meters of proximity behind the vehicle and 4 ft or 1.2 meters front of vehicle the car rear speakers beeps. Beep intensity increase as vehicle move close to the object. Some vehicles even display warnings on their dashboards.

Heads Up Display

A Heads-Up Display (HUD) provides a digital transparent navigation screen on the windshield that helps drivers keep focus on the road ahead. Head up display is a wide colour image that is projected by a special device on the dashboard. Information displayed by the HUD is very much similar to multi information displayed on the dashboard. The set up of lenses, mirror, windshield and other components make it seem like a floating cloud above the hood. The sole objective of HUD is to focus on the road ahead and minimize distraction of drivers while driving.

Facial Recognition Software

Luxury cars like Jaguar and Land Rover are equipped with more advanced technologies. System can sense the passengers are feeling hot and the car will automatically drop AC temperature or increase fan speed. System can detect the dizziness of the driver and can immediately sound the alert.

Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle to Infrastructure (V2I) Communications

V2V and V2I constantly broadcast information about cars like location and speed. The vehicles can wirelessly share information about position and speed data so as to prevent accidents. It can also help to ease traffic congestion and improve the environment. It could take a decade for more sophisticated V2V communications into life saving potential.