"Cars and Things" (stern0)
10/16/2015 at 13:35 • Filed to: None
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"Cars and Things" (stern0)
10/16/2015 at 13:35 • Filed to: None | 0
| 5 |
Honda’s crash-avoidance technology keeps getting better. First tested last year by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), Honda’s crash-avoidance systems have improved to the point where there were continued “claim frequency reductions under all coverages.” Translating this to English, it means there were fewer accident claims in Hondas equipped with crash-avoidance systems. In a sense, this means the semi-autonomous vehicle is here now at a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .
HLDI looked at the 2015 Accord and CrossTour models. CrossTour has been retired for 2016, leaving that unique segment of the lineup blank. Meantime, if you are looking for a new car, a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! offers, among others, the 2016 Accord lineup, which went on sale in late August, consists of:
LX
Sport
EX, EX-L
Touring
Honda is noted for providing high levels of content in all of its models. Since the introduction of the Accord more than 40 years ago, the automaker has consistently given its customers well-equipped vehicles. with a variety of four- and six-cylinder engines and manual and automatic transmissions.
Honda’s front crash-avoidance and lane-change warning systems are integral to “LaneWatch” and the “Sensing Package.“LaneWatch” relies cameras mounted on the dash and on the passenger-side mirror. Lane-change warning and front accident-avoidance systems are integrated. The “Sensing Package” is radar-based. It is standard on the Touring and optional on the EX. The sophisticated “Sensing Package” consists of:
Auto-braking
Forward collision warning,
High-speed adaptive cruise control
Lane departure warning with steering assist
Note that on the EX-L (EX with leather) trim, the “Sensing Package” adds $2,000 to the price of the vehicle because it adds navigation to the electronics package. On the EX, the package price is $1,000.
Even the LX includes at least one advanced safety feature. For 2016, the LX includes a standard backup camera. A backup camera allows drivers a continuous view to the rear, without having to move their eyes. Since the backup camera uses a fisheye-style lens, the field of view is about 135 or 140 degrees. This allows you to have a nearly complete view of the rear, including pedestrians, while keeping your eyes to the front.
Whatever the safety device, if it helps to reduce the number or severity of accidents, it is important. HLDI, in looking at the numbers, found that results for 2015 mirrored the results for 2014, there were fewer accidents. The HLDI, of course, puts its numbers in terms of claims frequency (the number of accident claims filed by motorists). Of the five categories that it considered, the organization considered three results statistically significant. Its findings were:
Property damage liability: Down 12 percent
Bodily injury liability: Down 27 percent
Medical payment: Down 22 percent
The other categories, collision and personal injury, were also down. This
Interestingly, the first set of numbers was for camera-based systems. The second set of numbers, for radar-based systems, differs a bit. There were only two categories that were considered statistically significant:
Property damage liability: Down 16 percent
Bodily injury liability: Down 39 percent
Medical payment claims were down, however, collision and personal injury were up. The collision claim figures were higher for radar-based systems, HLDI says, because the figure “likely relects the cost of repairing the radar system after crashes that weren’t avoided.” Radar transceiver units are “located in the front greille and are therefore much more vulnaerable to damage than cameras located inside” the passenger compartment, the organization concluded.
The Honda Accord crash-avoidance system operates at speeds over 10 mph. It is paired with lane-departure warning. On most Accords, the main forward collision-avoidance warning systems rely on cameras to detect cars in front.
Under development for the last few years, front crash-avoidance, lane-change warning systems and rear crash-avoidance systems are central to the rapidly developing notion of the autonomous or self-driving vehicle. In reality, with the deployment of such systems and their availability at your Honda dealership, one might say that the semi-autonomous vehicle is here now.
Remember that if you want to order them, you will have to ask your Honda dealer to either order a Touring model for you, if one is not available in stock, or you will have to purchase an EX or EX-L. Check with your dealer to see if their availability has been increased.
One thing to note is that while these safety systems will keep you safer on the road, they can increase your Honda’s complexity. When you take it into the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , you may find that front-end repairs take a bit longer because mechanics have to make sure these systems are functioning correctly before a vehicle can be released.
CalzoneGolem
> Cars and Things
10/16/2015 at 13:46 |
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Meh, Lucas has provided effective crash avoidance for years !
Ash78, voting early and often
> Cars and Things
10/16/2015 at 14:49 |
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I know our Odyssey’s insurance premiums are very low for the size and cost of the vehicle itself, but I found ALL their preventive crash systems to be useless.
The forward collision warning is wrong 90%+ of the time, and even then it’s an audible beep that would never allow you to avoid hitting a stationary object — human reaction times and the car’s braking capability limit that.
Lane Departure almost never alerts me to a lane drift (which is very easy to do with overboosted steering and no on-center tendency). Sometimes it beeps, but only in very, very egregious cases.
I do love the backup camera, though — combined with proper eyeball scanning and mirrors, there’s no excuse for backing into stuff.
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Cars and Things
> Ash78, voting early and often
10/17/2015 at 06:12 |
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Pretty much right on with what I have seen. Lane warning can use lots of improvement. I think they might do something in 2016.
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Cars and Things
> CalzoneGolem
10/17/2015 at 06:13 |
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Really, since 2000, I haven’t heard about it; guess it must be analog/mechanical instead of digital. If it’s Lucas, isn’t it also aftermarket? Just asking....
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CalzoneGolem
> Cars and Things
10/19/2015 at 08:11 |
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Can’t crash a car that won’t start.