Lexus ratchets up its active safety package with new enhancements
TECHNOLOGY
Lexus says it will further contribute to accident reduction by progressively rolling out the second-generation Lexus Safety System, enhanced from the set of active safety packages first introduced in 2015, in its line-up from 2018 in mainly Japan, North America and Europe.
A spokesperson for Toyota SA has advised the new safety system will also be rolled out in SA as the package becomes available for other markets.
The new system is a set of active safety packages developed to reduce accidents guided by the concept of supporting drivers under the assumption that they will drive safely and, at the same time, mitigating damage should an accident occur.
It comprises several functions and its key features include a Pre-Collision System (PCS), which helps prevent and mitigate collisions with preceding vehicles or pedestrians; Lane Departure Alert (LDA), which helps prevent vehicles from departing from their lanes; and Automatic High Beam (AHB), which helps to ensure optimal forward visibility during nighttime driving
PRE-COLLISION SUPPORT
Based on the concept of prioritising the development of safety technology and its popularisation, Lexus will roll out the precollision support in the new LS and some functions of its Lexus CoDrive advanced driving support in the system.
It says it will continue to use the single-lens camera and millimetre-wave radar used in the first generation of the system, but will be enhanced to prevent accidents and driver burden.
These additional enhancements will include expanding the scope of hazard detection and improving functionality such as through improvements to the performance of the camera and radar and using the advanced driving support feature Lane Tracing Assist (LTA).
Hazard detection will include adding nighttime pedestrians and cyclists to the scope of hazards detected by PCS.
The current system is unable to detect nighttime pedestrians and cyclists.
It will add Road Sign Assist with key road signs being read by the camera and displayed in the instrument panel. This feature supports safer driving by helping to reduce the possibility of overlooking speed limits and traffic rules, such as stop signs, no entry signs and no overtaking signs.
The Lane Tracing Assist (LTA) has been newly adopted to achieve such aims as reducing driver burden and improving convenience. It keeps the vehicle in the centre of a lane by assisting the driver in steering control when using Dynamic Radar Cruise Control.
By accruing features such as this, driver burden can be reduced in locations such as expressways, allowing drivers to drive with greater ease. LTA also comes with LDA.
THREE-PILLAR APPROACH
With the ability to recognise shoulders on straight roads without white lane markings, it gives alerts (display, buzzer or steering vibration) when deviating off roads, and assists in regaining position.
Lexus says that it will continue its three-pillar approach in efforts to address people, cars, and the traffic environment as it seeks to add to its safety packages to keep up with the technology being introduced by its key rivals.