Blind spot monitor

Blind spot detector on side mirrors

A blind spot monitor is a vehicle-based sensor device that detects other vehicles located to the driver’s side and rear. Warnings can be visual, audible, vibrating or tactile.[1][2]

However, blind spot monitors are an option that may include more than monitoring the sides of the vehicle. It can include "Cross Traffic Alert," "which alerts drivers backing out of a parking space when traffic is approaching from the sides."[1][3]

History

If side view mirrors are properly adjusted in a car, there is no blind spot on the sides.[3][4][5][6] This method was first revealed by George Platzer in a 1995 paper presented to the Society of Automotive Engineers.[3][4][6] The method is frequently overlooked in Driver's education classes, and takes some getting used to. Calculated elimination of blind spots by trained drivers is cheap, and obviates the need for expensive technological solutions to that problem, provided drivers take the time to set up and use their mirrors properly.[3]

George Platzer received a patent for the blind spot monitor, and it has been incorporated into various products associated with Ford Motor Company.[3] The blind zone mirror has been touted as "an elegant and relatively inexpensive solution" to this recognized problem.[3]

Blind Spot Information System

BLIS is an acronym for Blind Spot Information System, a system of protection developed by Volvo. Volvo's previous parent Ford Motor Company has since adapted the system to its Ford, Lincoln (automobile), and Mercury (automobile) brands.

This system was first introduced on the redesigned 2007 Volvo S80 sedan and produced a visible alert when a car entered the blind spot while a driver was switching lanes, using two door mounted lenses to check the blind spot area for an impending collision.

Mazda was the first Japanese automaker to offer a Blind spot monitor, which they refer to as BSM (Blind Spot Monitoring). It was initially introduced on the 2008 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring and remained limited to only that highest trim level through the 2012 model year. For 2013, the CX-9 Touring and Grand Touring both have BSM standard. T

Mazda also added BSM to the redesigned 2009 Mazda6 s Grand touring when it was introduced. It was added to additional trim levels as low as the 2013 Mazda6 i Touring Plus. It has also been added to various versions of the Mazda3 and CX-5, often as part of any option package.

On Ford products, the system was first introduced in the spring of 2009 on the 2010 Ford Fusion and Fusion Hybrid, 2010 Mercury Milan and Milan Hybrid and 2010 Lincoln MKZ.

Blind Spot Intervention Systems

In 2010, the Nissan Fuga/Infiniti M will for the first time counter steer the vehicle to keep it from colliding.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ford Motor Company (2008). "See It, Hear It, Feel It: Ford Seeks Most Effective Driver Warnings for Active Safety Technology. Increased warnings indicate potentially hazardous lane changes". Gale, Cengage Learning/Free Library. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
  2. ↑ Automobile Blind-Spot Monitoring System, Tri-City Insurance News, January 27, 2006
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Jensen, Christopher (August 18, 2009). "Are Blind Spots a Myth?". The New York Times. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Platzer, George (February 1, 1995). "The Geometry of Automotive Rearview Mirrors - Why Blind Zones Exist and Strategies to Overcome Them – SAE Technical Paper 950601". Detroit, Michigan: Society of Automotive Engineers. doi:10.4271/950601. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  5. ↑ "How To Eliminate The Dreaded "Blind Spot"". Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Quiroga, Tony; Philpot, Chris, Illustrator (March 2010). "How to Adjust Your Mirrors to Avoid Blind Spots". Car and Driver. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  7. ↑ Kiino, Ron; Walker, William, Photos (November 2009). "First Drive: 2011 Infiniti M Prototype Gutsier V-6, a Big V-8, and Even a Hybrid". Motor Trend. Retrieved August 11, 2013.

External links