Honda Announces New City-Brake Safety System

One of the most common situations for drivers to have accidents is in low-speed traffic within a city. Drivers become distracted and before you know it rear end collisions happen. A number of automakers around the world have been introducing systems to improve safety and help prevent rear end collisions. Ford has offered this sort of system on some of its vehicles for a while that activates flashing lights, an audible alarm, and then hits the brakes if needed.

Honda has now announced that it has developed its own accident avoidance support system called the City-Brake Active System. The Honda safety system operates when the vehicle is traveling at speeds under 18 mph. The system relies on a laser radar installed in the upper part of the windscreen to detect when a collision is imminent.

Once the safety system identifies a high risk of collision, it will activate both audio and visual warnings for the driver. If the driver doesn't take action to avoid the collision the City-Brake Active System automatically applies the vehicle's brakes. The safety system also has a secondary function designed to prevent accidental acceleration.

At speeds of less than 6 mph, or from a standstill, if the system determines that the driver has pressed too hard on the accelerator when there is another vehicle within 4 m of the front, the system will deliver audio and visual warnings. The system will then restrict engine output to prevent the vehicle from moving forward. The idea is that the system can help prevent rear end collisions in instances where the driver mistakenly steps on the accelerator rather than the brake.

[via Honda]