Infiniti to introduce the first Lane Departure Warning System


April 1, 2004

Gardena, California - Later this year, Infiniti will introduce a new Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system which alerts drivers of an unintended movement of the vehicle out of a designated traffic lane. The new system, which utilizes a small camera, speed sensor, an indicator and an audible warning buzzer, will be offered this fall on 2005 models of Infiniti’s FX crossover sport utility vehicle. The LDW system will also be available on the next generation M45 performance luxury sedan, which is scheduled to go on sale in spring 2005 as a 2006 model.

“Studies show that 55% of fatal accidents in the U.S. are caused by lane departure*,” said Robert Yakushi, Director, Product Safety, Regulatory, Accessory Quality, Nissan North America, Inc. “These are caused by various factors, including driver distraction, inattention or drowsiness. The Lane Departure Warning system generates a warning to help alert the driver that the vehicle is about to move out of its lane.”

The Infiniti LDW system is temporarily disabled by driver activation of the vehicle’s turn signals, which informs the system’s control unit of intended lane changes. The system also features a manual cancel switch, which allows the driver to turn the system off when desired. The system automatically resets when the vehicle is restarted.

The Infiniti Lane Departure System recognizes lane markings through the use of a small camera mounted behind the rearview mirror. The camera’s signal and the vehicle’s speed are sent to the system’s advanced microprocessing unit, which combines the information to calculate both the distance between the vehicle and the lane marking and the lateral velocity to the lane marking. A judgment is then made as to whether the vehicle is moving out of the lane (depending on the distance and lateral velocity to the lane).

If it is determined that the vehicle is leaving the lane, both visual (indicator light located on the instrument panel) and audible (buzzer) warning signals are generated, alerting the driver to take corrective action. The system will not operate if the camera can’t detect the lane markers or if vehicle’s speed is below 45 miles per hour.

“Some of the typical scenarios where the Lane Departure Warning system will warn the drivers when they are not giving 100% of their attention to driving and drift out of their lanes of travel are, for example, adjusting the audio system, looking at other occupants, searching for addresses or landmarks when driving on unfamiliar roads, or when concentrating on conversations rather than driving,” said Yakushi.

The Infiniti Lane Departure Warning system was developed in conjunction with Valeo SA and Iteris, Inc., the latter that has previously developed LDW systems for the commercial long-haul truck industry.

*Source: National Highway Transportation Safety Administration 2001

 

Sounds like the perfect solution for women drivers j/k

 

Jive on, dude......a LOT of women pay less for insurance than WE do. The stats show that in general they have a lower accident rate.

 

I was kidding...anyway, my mother would be the first to say that most women drivers suck, of course this is just her 50 years of driving experience in CA (she tells me this every time she drives and hates to admit it)...I realize that going 25 in a 45 zone while applying makeup and talking on the phone is not getting into an accident, but it sure tends to cause them. At least here in CA! ...and yes, men are just as guilty!

Anyway, I am not trying to bag on women drivers because I do know that there are some very, very good women drivers out there, it's just my "opinion" that MOST, not ALL, drivers (of all sexes, religion, ethnicity, etc...) don't belong on the road...male or female...they really need to make driving tests much, much harder...No more of that guy (employee) at the DMV selling you the opportunity to pass for $20. In CA at least driving is considered a priviledge, one that should be earned through tougher tests...I don't know what the answer is to resolve the issue, but do know that these types of systems (like the one Infiniti is creating) only validate this reasoning for making tests more difficult...for pete's sake, how hard is it to stay in your LANE????? In CA you need to be a defensively, offensive driver just to survive and stay out of accidents. Go on about the stats, but until you drive where I live and deal with the same bad drivers day-after-day, the general stats don't matter to me.

 

I think most people will just end up turning it off all the time.
There's plenty of times when you switch lanes without using
you signal (mainly when you know your the only one around).
Plus, if the beeper sounds when you pass over the line then
it's probably to late if there's a car right there.

 

Yeah, because thay are good at blaming things at others. Sorry, girlfriend problems.

Interesting gadget but I would rather have a built in police radar blocking system

 

Electronic Mother-in-Law WOMEN ARE DESIGNING THESE CARS!

 

You are correct that in CA driving is legally a priviledge, not a right...it is the same in all 50 states...as is a pilot's license. Generally, though, it is treated as a right unless you screw up.

But back to the original topic....lane-change warnings. That's just what we need....another electronic nanny. I've mentioned this in other threads, too. Maybe we could all just learn to PAY ATTENTION.

 

This is just another stupid idea. Instead of focusing on better driving skill, companies are developing features that play right into the hands of dangerous and unexpected motorists. Why bother learning how to drive properly when your car can do it for you?

I've got some news: Unless you're driving a UPS van in a 40MPH crosswind, you shouldn't be concerned about getting into an accident due to "lane departure." And what is someone swerves into your lane? Will the Infiniti get you out of trouble?

This system is totally useless. Safe drivers don't need it and it won't stop other people from wrecking into you. What benefits does this new "technology" have again? At least Lexus has some sort of system to prepare for an impending accident.