Nissan previews all-around "collision free" prototype

11 Aug 2008

Japan's third-largest auto manufacturer Nissan Motor, has unveiled an all-around collision-free prototype comprising two technologies – side collision prevention (SCP) and back-up collision prevention (BCP).

Incorporating the available distance control assist (DCA) and lane departure prevention (LDP) systems, this latest prototype further extends Nissan's ''safety shield'' concept to help protect the vehicle and its occupants from potential risks coming from multiple directions.

According to the side collision prevention technology, when the driver decides to change lanes, the side-mounted sensors activates a warning if an approaching vehicle is detected in the drivers intended lane. A yaw mechanism is then activated through brake control of individual wheels, to help prevent a potential collision.

The back-up collision prevention comes in use during a reversing manoeuvre, with the rear and side-mounted sensors detecting objects in the path of the vehicle. If an object is detected an alarm sounds followed by the activation of the brakes, to help avoid a collision in situations such as when a vehicle is backing out of a parking space.

The DCA helps maintain an adequate following distance, while the LDP helps to prevent the vehicle from veering off its designated driving lane. Both the DCA and LDP systems complement the SCP and BCP to create the all-around collision free prototype. The warning system and pre-emptive safety features are designed to help support the driver in an intuitive manner with minimal intervention.

Nissan says it is globally committed to build safer vehicles equipped with advanced safety technologies and in its own home country the company's safety  target is to halve the number of traffic fatalities or serious injuries involving Nissan vehicles by 2015 compared with the level in 1995.

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