Accident Reconstruction Network > News > February 2005 >02/24/05

Accident Reconstruction News Article

Nissan Creating Car That Swerves Back
Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer
Nissan Developing a Car That Swerves Back Into Its Lane to Make Driving Safer

YOKOSUKA, Japan (AP) -- To make driving safer, Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co. is developing a car that swerves back into its lane on its own and features a video system that makes parking a breeze.

"Lane Departure Prevention" combines a camera and computerized devices that control braking for front and rear wheels, nudging the car in the right direction. The feature disengages when you hit the turn signal, so you can change lanes and make turns.

Nissan has a system to make squeezing into parking spots easier. Four cameras in the front, back and on the side-mirrors relay live video.

Images from all sides are shown as they would appear from above, the car displayed as a computer graphic in the middle.

The automaker has yet to decide on when it will offer either system, and rival automakers have similar smart-car features in the works.

Nissan also showed a computerized system that controls the steering of front and rear wheels to stabilize driving when a car switches directions quickly.

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