D
aniel McGehee is driving me around Atlanta in the 2016 Volvo XC90. We're chatting
and he is pointing out different sights while the car's lane keeping system prevents
him from drifting into another lane or off the road. (This helps stifl e my urge to
yell "Eyes on the road!") When he switches on the full-range adaptive cruise control, the
car basically drives itself, keeping him at a set speed and stopping perfectly at stop signs
when there are cars ahead — McGehee's foot doesn't touch the pedals at all. I'm both in awe
and kind of freaked out. When it's time to parallel park, the car does it for him. (I offi cially
decide I need this technology in my car.) And if a pedestrian were to suddenly run into the
road, he tells me, the car would brake automatically, avoiding a potentially fatal incident.
McGehee is at the forefront of new car technologies as director of the transportation and
vehicle safety program at the University of Iowa. The National Consumer Survey of Driving Safety
Technologies conducted by the university last July found that while new safety technologies
are appearing in cars every day, consumers are unsure how these advanced features work.
Nearly two-thirds (65.2 per cent) of the 2,015 Americans surveyed said they least understand
adaptive cruise control, followed by tire pressure monitoring systems (45.3 per cent) and
lane departure warning systems (35.6 per cent). They are also confused about features that
have been standard in cars for years, such as anti-lock brakes.
PEDAL to the
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adaptive cruise control, followed by tire pressure monitoring systems (45.3 per cent) and
lane departure warning systems (35.6 per cent). They are also confused about features that
have been standard in cars for years, such as anti-lock brakes.
lane departure warning systems (35.6 per cent). They are also confused about features that
have been standard in cars for years, such as anti-lock brakes.
lane departure warning systems (35.6 per cent). They are also confused about features that
April/May 2016 13
From pedestrian detection to lane keeping assist,
new technologies are making driving safer
By Amanda Silliker
