Many cars nowadays come with a sensing system that monitors the area along the sides of the car which are in the driver’s blind spot. The sensors detect the presence of another car or motorcyclist and alert the driver by a flashing light on the mirror or on the instrument panel. The warning can prevent a collision if the driver had been intending to change lanes or turn.
Volvo (while it was in the Ford Group) developed this active safety system that came to be called the Blind Spot Information System or BLIS. Naturally Volvo models were the first to have BLIS from 2007 and Ford too adopted the system on many of its models as an optional or standard feature.
Eventually other manufacturers also had similar systems and today, the sensors also detect cross traffic approaching as the vehicle reverses out of a parking bay. This is especially useful as the driver may not be able to see either side due to the view being blocked by other adjacent vehicles.
However, BLIS works only when the vehicle is moving and now Ford has gone further in this area by developing new technology which can reduce accidents caused by drivers or passengers opening their doors as a cyclist is approaching. Although they should first open the door slightly and look to the back first, many just open it suddenly and a cyclist might not be able to stop in time.
3,500 accidents in one year
While this sort of accident may not be so common in Malaysia, there are thousands such accidents in Europe every year. In 2018 alone, 3,500 ‘car dooring’ accidents occurred in Germany. This problem is expected to get worse as more people choose to cycle and ride e‑scooters in cities.
Ford’s new technology is called Exit Warning and provides visual and audible alerts to road users and vehicle occupants when it detects that opening the door of a parked car might cause a collision. It could also prevent a vehicle door from opening into someone’s path.
How it works
Many Ford vehicles already have sensors and technology that can automatically detect and brake for cyclists ahead and as mentioned earlier, BLIS lets drivers know when other road-users are in their blind spots.
Using these existing sensors, Exit Warning analyses and understands the movements of approaching road-users – whether they are riding a bicycle or an e-scooter – on both the driver and passenger sides of the vehicle. If the system detects that opening the vehicle door could cause a collision, an alarm sounds to warn the driver or passenger of the danger.
To attract attention, bright red LEDs on the wing mirror also begin to flash as a visual warning for cyclists and a strip of red LEDs along the inner trim of the door – that becomes visible when the door is opened – provides further warning for passing road-users.
For engineers are also testing a new mechanism for the car door that momentarily prevents it from fully opening until the Exit Warning system determines the passing road-user is safely clear of the vehicle. Of course, the vehicle occupant will be able to manually override this feature in an emergency.
Following testing with drivers and cyclists from within Ford, the engineers will be conducting customer clinics in coming months. Part of the testing will be to ensure that the technology accommodates road-users in different markets, taking into account right-hand and left-hand drive vehicles as well as different road and lane layouts.
Fostering harmony between road-users
Ford’s ‘Share The Road’ campaign seeks to foster harmony between road-users and underlines the company’s belief that enabling more people to cycle safely, especially for short journeys, benefits everyone.
The company recently highlighted the challenges of communication between drivers and cyclists – and how smart thinking could potentially ease tensions and reduce accidents. Its prototype ‘Emoji Jacket’ is a one‑of‑a‑kind wearable that features a brightly lit LED mesh panel to display emojis, indicators and the hazard warning symbol. The prototype jacket enables cyclists to more easily and clearly signal their intent – and their feelings – to drivers and other road-users.
Visit www.sdacford.com.my to know more about the safety technologies in today’s Ford models.
