Safety First: Auto Safety Technologies Enter the Fast Lane
Robert LaGuerra finds the new Volkswagen Passat an interesting car. Why? Because it is a trend-setter; perhaps the first mid-priced car to offer such a wide range of highly integrated, sophisticated safety technologies. As well as "an enormous amount" of passive safety features, the Passat offers optional adaptive cruise control, electronic stability control and an electronic parking brake.
"This car suggests two important directions in automotive safety design," says LaGuerra, senior automotive industry analyst at ABI Research (Oyster Bay, NY). "First, it sees the inclusion of active safety systems--those that attempt to prevent collisions rather than minimize their damage--in a midrange auto. Secondly, that inclusion means the use of ‘x-by-wire' technology, using electronics to accomplish many functions previously accomplished mechanically."