Ford to cut out traffic jam boredom
Posted by Anna Macintyre on Wednesday, 27 Jun 2012, 10:35 in Accidents and Vehicle Safety
Researchers at Ford have come up with a way for drivers to avoid having to waste their time concentrating on inching forward while stuck in traffic jams. The manufacturer has come up with a new technology that will allow a car to take over the steering, breaking and accelerating duties when the vehicle hits a congested stretch of road. According to a report by The Telegraph newspaper, Ford's Traffic Jam Assist is capable of detecting stationary vehicles ahead through the use of camera and radar technology. After being activated in a motorway environment, the system would ensure the vehicle kept pace with the traffic around it by automatically accelerating and breaking, leaving the driver free to relax or get on with other tasks. Joseph Urhahne, engineer for Ford Research and Advanced Engineering, said: "Drivers spend more than 30 per cent of their time in heavy traffic. Traffic Jam Assist could help make travelling through congestion a more relaxing experience and, by using technology to keep pace with the flow of traffic, potentially help relieve road congestion." It has been suggested that the technology could start being integrated into Fords as early as 2017.
