LEXUS PUTS SAFETY IN THE SPOTLIGHT WITH ALL-NEW FLAGSHIP MODEL
The all-new new Lexus LS 460 is a safety-packed tour de force with numerous features that are global firsts.
With the Government firmly focussed on reducing the number of people killed and injured on the UK’s roads, the safety-related features on the soon-to-be-launched range-topping car are aimed at initially sensing that the vehicle is about to be involved in a crash and then taking evasive action milliseconds before impact.
Lexus already has an established safety track record with both the IS and GS models having achieved top five-star crash test ratings under the European New Car Assessment Programme.
Claes Tingvall, Euro NCAP chairman said: “Wherever possible consumers should insist that their car is fitted with the most complete safety options available. Consumers should remain vigilant in prioritising safety.
“Euro NCAP’s role is to alert the consumer to cars which offer the greatest protection in an accident. Driving carefully and attentively is perhaps the best way to reduce the chances of being in a crash but technology can play an important role, too.”
In 2005, the most recent year for which Department for Transport data is available, 3,201 people were killed on UK roads and 271,017 people injured - both figures remain significantly above the Government’s 2010 target for cutting casualties.
A few years ago vehicle manufacturers were focusing on introducing technology that largely protected vehicle occupants from serious injury in the event of a crash. Needless to say, such technology is on the LS 460 as well as all Lexus models.
But, developments have moved on at such a pace that by adopting the principle of accident avoidance through anticipation, vehicles fitted with the very latest technology may never crash - even if the driver nods off at the wheel.
A rear pre-crash safety system and a driver monitoring system both debut on the LS 460 and are likely to be introduced on other models in the Lexus range in the future.
By means of millimetre-wave radar and stereo cameras, the car’s advanced obstacle detection system can detect a wide range of obstructions in the path of the vehicle, including, for the first time, pedestrians and animals at a range of up to 25 metres. When there is a high probability of a collision, an alarm will prompt the driver to take evasive action. However, if the system deduces that the collision is unavoidable, the pre-crash seatbelts’ pretensioning mechanism will be activated and the brakes automatically applied to reduce the consequences of the impact.
The world’s first rear pre-crash safety system uses a millimetre-wave radar installed in the rear bumper. This constantly scans the area around the back of the vehicle and, if it determines a high probability of collision, it automatically activates the pre-crash front head restraints, which move forwards and upwards to cushion the occupant’s head in anticipation of an impact, greatly reducing the risk of whiplash injury.
Meanwhile, the driver monitoring system sees a miniature camera on the steering column constantly tracks the movement of the driver’s face. If an obstacle is detected in front of the vehicle when the driver is not looking ahead, the pre-crash alarm function will be triggered, and gentle braking applied to alert the driver.
Finally, emergency steering assist improves the vehicle’s response to driver steering input, selecting the best gear ratio for rapid evasion manoeuvres and increasing the chances of avoiding a collision.
Identical safety features will appear on the manufacturer’s forthcoming new hybrid flagship, the LS 600h.
