Yahoo Autos This New Tech Tackles Wrong-Way Highway Crashes Head On
There are few automotive hazards more severe than a car mistakenly careening the wrong way down a divided highway, against the flow of traffic. Although relatively rare, such slipups tend to result in outsize consequences, given the severity of a typical head-on collision at speed. Ford has a relatively simple solution that could help the problem: sign-recognition technology.
You might be thinking to yourself, “Isn’t traffic-sign recognition technology fairly common?” It is. Camera-based systems that can read speed-limit signs and some cautionary signage and display that information to the driver are found in everything from certain Mazdas to Mercedes-Benzes. Ford simply tweaked its existing road-sign recognition software to enable it to read Do Not Enter signs (in Europe, they’re No Entry signs) and alert the driver to their presence. Then it flashes a note to “check driving direction” in the vehicle’s gauge cluster or head-up display. Presto! Ford now has Wrong Way Alert to tout as its latest driver-assist feature.
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So far, the technology will only be available in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, but it is likely to spread to other European markets soon. Traditionally, automakers have faced difficulties tuning their sign-recognition systems thanks to America’s nonstandardized, varied road signage, so it’s not yet clear whether this could or would work here in the States. We’ve reached out to Ford for comment on its future rollout plans for Wrong Way Alert, however.
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