LaneFX is not like blind spot mirrors. It's only a mobile electronics system that moves your power mirrors in lane changes and merges.

CONTENTS: Blind Spot Mirrors to Prevent Accidents.

LaneFX automatically moves your vehicle's existing power side mirrors when you turn on your blinker. Replace Car Gadgets with the award winning blind spot mirrors solution. Also includes reverse mirror tilt module for park assist and backup warning.

LaneFX Auto Safety Series: 10 Reasons to Ditch the Stick-on Fish-eye Convex Blind Spot Mirrors

Drivaware Publishes Automakers' Scorecard on Driver Visbility and Average Blind Spot Zone Size

Automakers' average blind spot zones vary greatly. Automakers that produce larger, taller vehicles have larger blind spot zones than conventional passenger vehicles without impeded side and rearviews. All measurements do not account for the use of blind spot mirrors or blind spot detectors (like Valeo Raytheon's and Volvo's BLIS systems). Blind spot zone sizes are a combination of the side blind spot zones (as applicable in lane changes) but exclude the size of the rear blind spot zone that result when the vehicle is in reverse (backover condition).

Automaker

Average Size of Model Lane Change Blind Spot Area (avg. for all 2006 models in feet)

Automaker Average Size of Model Lane Change Blind Spot Area (avg. for all 2006 models in feet)
Acura 24.1' Jeep 31.0'
Alfa Romeo N/A Kia 18.9'
Aston Martin 29.2' Lamborghini 48.0'
Audi 32.0' Land Rover 38.2'
Bentley 29.4' Lexus 28.4'
BMW 28.6' Lincoln 22.9'
Buick 33.2' Lotus 49.8'
Cadillac 31.0' Mazda 22.0'
Chevrolet 33.9' Mercedes-Benz 29.4'
Chrysler 36.8' Mercury 28.2'
Daewoo 18.6' Mini 27.4'
DeLorean 44.1' Mitsubishi 29.6'
Dodge 36.1' Nissan 31.0'
Eagel N/A Oldsmobile N/A
Ferrari 40.6' Pontiac 32.1'
Fiat N/A Porsche 41.6'
Ford 38.1' Rolls-Royce 29.4'
Geo 16.3' Saab 26.1'
GMC 29.4' Saturn 25.5'
Honda 21.8' Scion 19.0'
Hummer 50.5' Subaru 26.7'
Hyundai 22.0' Suzuki 27.3'
Infiniti 34.1' Toyota 25.9'
Isuzu 37.5' Volkswagen 30.6'
Jaguar 28.8' Volvo 28.1'

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Automakers are Designing New Car Gadgets Focused on Driver Safety and Awareness

Safer Lane Changes is Just One of the Latest Trends to Include Advanced Gadgets in New SUV Models

Every new car season brings with it a dazzling assortment of high-tech gadgets and an equally formidable barrage of hype aimed at romancing you into this year's model.

What's hot and what's hype? We posed that question to Paul Duchene, a national automotive writer based in Portland, Ore.

"There are a lot of gizmos this year and some of them are good, too," he says. "One of the reasons is there are a lot of new models and a whole bunch of updates this year, including the Nissan 350Z, Mazda's RX-8 and BMW's Z4 and 745i, the car some critics have informally dubbed 'the quarter to eight.'"

Let's put the pedal to the metal and cruise some of this year's hottest new gadgets:

Intelligent cruise control: This lends new dimension to the term "keeping up with the Joneses." Previously, cruise control was a simple proposition: You set your speed and your car maintained it until you tapped the brake or manually turned it off. Infiniti's new wrinkle uses a laser beam to measure the distance between you and the vehicle ahead and maintains a preset distance until you disengage it. The upside is you can't tailgate. The downside depends on the driving skills of the guy in front of you.

Directional stability: This is a little like having your mother-in-law in the back seat, only quieter. "You go into a corner too hard and the car basically figures out that it's about to change direction from where you want it to go and will selectively apply, say, a rear brake on one side just to keep it going in the line that it senses it's pointed," says Duchene. And he tested it. Hard. "It really works, way past the point that it makes sense."

Mouse control: It had to happen and finally does with BMW's 7 series. That dial-shaped gizmo where a stick shift would normally reside is called iDrive and it controls the heat, air, audio level and other cabin-related functions. This gives you a sleek, button-free dashboard. Beginners, however, need to look at the in-dash display to use it.

Voice-recognition system: Sure, we all talk, even scream, at our cars on occasion. Now Infiniti presents one that finally listens. The Q45 voice recognition system allows you to change CDs, adjust the temperature, access your GPS navigation system or make a hands-free cell phone call, all through voice command. The system understands 50,000 words in 150 dialects and even learns the sound of your voice. Hal, is that you?

Run-flat tires: No matter how high-tech your ride, there are four things all cars have in common, and they still go flat from time to time. Run-flat tires don't prevent flats, but they will get you to a repair shop. "When you run over a nail and the tire goes flat, if you keep it under 30 miles per hour, it will get you someplace where you can change it," Duchene explains. "Part of the reason they can do it is that performance tires are much lower profile and deform much less, so you can make stiffer sidewalls."

Mobile entertainment: New minivans approximate all the comforts of home: Pop-down DVD screens, earphone ports, even a remote control to fight over. That takes care of the kids; now what about Mom and Dad? How about coast-to-coast, commercial-free satellite radio? For the cost of a radio receiver ($300 and up) and service (less than $15 a month), you can receive 70 channels of commercial-free music and 40 channels of news, talk, sports and entertainment programming from such providers as XM and Sirius. It sure beats choruses of, "Are we there yet?"

Limp-home mode: How smart is the Cadillac Northstar engine? If you blow a radiator hose, the Northstar automatically reverts to limp-home mode, shutting the gas supply off in several cylinders and turning the engine into a quasi-air cool system. You won't set any land speed records, but your engine will survive the damage you unwittingly might have done to it.

DVD navigation: Because of the limited data storage capacity of earlier onboard GPS satellite-navigation systems, you had to reinstall a different CD of map displays if you wanted to travel to other parts of the country. With the new DVD-based systems, all of North America is now your oyster. Does it play movies, too? Duchene chuckles: "The Lexus system has the ability to play movie DVDs on its screen, but it won't play if you're in gear, so you can't be watching a movie while you're driving down the road." We really didn't think so, but had to ask.

Automatic braking: Remember your mother-in-law in the back seat? Here's a feature that cleverly simulates the effect of her panicked stranglehold on you in a traffic crisis. "There are brake systems now that have a brains-override thing where they figure you're not braking hard enough for what's going on and will actually add power to the brakes," Duchene says. Easier on the esophagus, too.

Head restraint, side curtains and pre-tensioners: Luxury cars feature all the safety money can buy. In addition to standard forward and side airbags, many models now come with inflatable head-restraint bands along the top of the windshield and inflatable side window curtains. The Lexus system automatically cinches up your seat belt with pre-tensioners just milliseconds before impact. Cadillac's Escalade SUV uses sensors to analyze the size and weight of front-seat passengers and automatically deactivates the front air bag if it detects a child or rear-facing child seat riding shotgun. "Though not yet on the market, the car companies are developing a 'catcher's mitt' seat that, if things go wrong, just kind of grabs you and holds you in place," says Duchene.

Back-up assistance: If parallel parking is not your strong suit, you'll be pleased to hear about a couple systems designed to give you a better look at your rear end. GM's Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assistant uses four sensors to triangulate the position of objects behind you and guides you with both an audible chime and LED lights at the back window. Infiniti's RearView Monitor goes one step further and actually displays on the dashboard monitor a full-color video from a rear-mounted mini-cam. Now all you've got to do is find a parking space.

Automatic accident reporting: In the event of an accident, your car can now phone for help, even if you can't. "Some of this stuff now, if you have a crash, the car calls home and 911 and says, 'I've been hurt,'" Duchene says. "But that has its drawbacks. As one of my friends pointed out, sometimes when you make a mistake, you could use about 20 minutes to get away."

Mobile Electronics Retailers - Get the Hottest Car Gadget This Year

LaneFX is a great addition to your store's new product selection. It's a brand new automotive safety system that drives new customer segments to your store, like senior citizens and first-time drivers. LaneFX beats blind spot mirrors, radar detectors, and virtually any car gadget out there! Don't be blind to cheap aftermarket blind spot mirrors, driver safety is affected by distorted side view mirrors. Check our the LaneFX retailer program today.

"Geeky and useful" What a Great Combination!

That's what the gadget and new mobile technology media has been saying about LaneFX. It's the ultimate gearhead accessory for your car or truck. The latest car gadget is now fully-customizable, guaranteed to be 100% universal and best of all, there is no car gadget that's cooler than the one that could save your life. LaneFX tops the latest and hottest car gadgets for its innovation, invention, wide appeal and novelty.

Double Lane Change Increases SUV Rollover Risk

Drivaware reports on a new double lane-change test that is designed to stimulate an emergency maneuver to determine SUV handling. The test is important because the more controllable and secure a vehicle is when pushed to its handling limits the better chance the SUV occupants will avoid an accident. In situations where an obstacle is in the way, due to the compromising nature of SUVs in general, steering around it can cause the vehicle to go out of control and result in an SUV rollover. Double lane-change SUV rollovers are more common than passenger cars because of the higher center of gravity that makes SUVs more prone to rollover, especially if swerving abruptly.

The aspect of SUV safety has most often focused on risk of rollover. The National Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has said the rate of SUV rollover is two to three times greater than a passenger car. Height of a SUV makes the vehicle more top heavy than one that sits lower, which is why consumers interested in purchasing a SUV are advised to choose one lower to the ground if not needing a vehicle with high ground clearance.

Accident avoidance is an important aspect of vehicle safety and the ability to sharply swerve to avoid hitting an object or a person. In a SUV, the sudden cornering forces or double lane-change can cause the SUV to tip onto two wheels and cause it to rollover. Especially after the Ford/Firestone SUV rollovers in 2000 left hundreds dead and even more injured, focus on SUV safety, like double lane-change SUV rollover risk, greater.

When shopping for an SUV, check for the availability of a blind spot exposure system, such as LaneFX. In addition to rollover resistance technology and such a wide range of vehicle options, becoming informed consumers can reduce safety risks.

OhGizmo Special Product Review

LaneFX - Blind Spots Revealed

A lot of new cars include detection systems that will alert the driver when a vehicle (or some other large object) is sitting in their blind spot. Drivaware is now selling a third-party solution that does more than just alert the driver when something is in their blind spot, it shows them.

When the turn signals are activated the LaneFX system will automatically move the corresponding side mirror outwards showing the driver what might be hiding in the vehicle’s blind spot. The LaneFX system can also include the ParkFX feature which will automatically tilt both side mirrors down while the vehicle is being driven in reverse.

The Drivaware LaneFX system can be installed on any car with power side mirrors and is available in a Basic Edition for $197, a Highway Edition for $242 and a Commuter Edition for $296 depending on what features you may need.

Don't Forget About Your Backup Blind Spots

Available ParkFX is the best park assist system to show you the parking boundaries and dangers around you when you're backing up

Kids ‘N Cars, a consumer organization working to make it safer for children to be around cars, is calling attention to the problem of the blind spot--that area behind the vehicle that you can’t see from the driver’s seat. The organization notes that at least 58 children were backed over and killed last year alone.

How big can the backup blind spot be? We measured a sedan, minivan, SUV, and pickup to find out. We used a 28-inch-high traffic cone, measuring how far behind the vehicle it would have to be before an average (5 feet 8 inches) and short (5 feet 1 inch) driver could see it. Larger vehicles tend to have a significantly larger blind spot. (Studies show the length of each blind spot; lighter for an average-height driver, darker for a shorter driver.)

Later in 2006, tests will be published on backup sensors and rear-view video backup warning cameras that could help to reduce the blind-spot problem. It’s best to always look carefully behind the vehicle before you get in and again before you put the car in gear. Also, always back up slowly.

LaneFX Safe Driving Tips:

LaneFX Helps Drivers Remember to Use Their Blinkers Before Merging or Changing Lanex

Latest LaneFX core driving tips gathered from LaneFX owners

  • Wear your seatbelt. Almost 40 per cent of all vehicle occupants killed in 2002 were not wearing a seatbelt. So whether you're a driver or passenger, buckle up.
  • Slow down. Excessive speed is a contributing factor in 20 per cent of occupant fatalities.
  • Each year, 25 per cent of deaths and 40 per cent of serious injuries from vehicle collisions occur at intersections. Be careful, even when you have the right of way, and remember to treat a non-working traffic light like a four-way stop.
  • In summer, there are more people on the roads in many different kinds of vehicles. Remember to watch out for motor bikes and bicycles and be courteous to these road users.
  • The safest place for kids under 12 is in the back seat. Have kids travel in the back seat, especially when there is an airbag for the passenger seat.

Don't drink and drive

Impaired driving is a problem that seriously affects the safety of our roads. Every year more than 1,100 people die in alcohol-related collisions - that's about one-third of the total number of fatalities. Thousands more are injured, many of them permanently disabled. In fact, nearly 40 per cent of seriously injured drivers consumed alcohol prior to their collisions.

Driving a car taps into almost all our basic skills - perception, attention, judgment, decision making, physical reactions - as well as our ability to coordinate these skills. Alcohol impairs these skills and our ability to drive.

  • Put simply, don't drink and drive.
  • If you are hosting a party or function where alcohol is served, remember that you may be legally liable for damage caused by guests - even after they have left the premises.

Check your tires

Without proper maintenance, your tires could fail and cause you to lose control of your vehicle. Proper tire maintenance is not only critical to the safe operation of your vehicle, but will also improve fuel economy, extend tire life, provide better vehicle handling, help prevent avoidable breakdowns and collisions, and reduce exhaust emissions that contribute to environmental, health and climate change problems.

  • Driving on under-inflated tires at high speeds on a warm summer day is a dangerous combination. For safety's sake, check your tires once a month, especially before you head out on a long trip.
  • Make sure your tires are inflated to the correct levels and do not exceed the load limit of your vehicle. This information can usually be found on the inside of the driver's door.
  • Inspect your tires regularly for uneven tread wear, cuts, cracks, bulges and foreign objects and rotate tires on a regular basis.

Sharing the road with large trucks and commercial vehicles

There are more commercial vehicles on Canada's roads now than ever before. These vehicles can be up to 40 times heavier than an average car and take more than twice the distance to stop. To prevent collisions with these vehicles, remember:

  • Avoid cutting in front of trucks or braking suddenly in front of them.
  • When you are in the driver's blind spot, move through quickly and never pass on the right, where the blind spot is even larger. If you can't see the driver's face in their side mirror, they can't see you.
  • When passing a truck, ensure you can do it safely, signal, then pass promptly. Be prepared to encounter splash and spray on wet roads.

Cell phones and other distractions

Pay attention-don't engage in distracting activities while driving. Cell phones and other devices such as electronic navigation systems are emerging as factors in road collisions.

  • Do not use a phone while driving.
  • Turn the phone off before you start driving. Let callers leave a message.
  • If there are passengers in the vehicle, let one of them take or make the call.
  • If you're expecting an important call, let someone else drive.

 

LaneFX proven better solution to the blind spot problem than stick-on convex blind spot mirrors

Why use conventional, ineffective blind spot mirrors? LaneFX puts your side mirrors to work for your driving safety. It alerts you before changing lanes by showing you any trucks, SUV's, and passenger cars hiding in your blind spot side view mirror. Plus, LaneFX works with your vehicle's existing power side mirrors.

Learn how adjusting your power mirrors wide does not guarantee to eliminate blind spots

The Car Talk folks might like this concept, but why use 1960's technology to solve an increasingly important driving safety problem? Blind spot mirrors are no match for the simplicity, innovation and high-technology of the LaneFX system.

Unlike what you'd drive in Volvo XC90, S80, or Audi Q7 Lane Assist, LaneFX is not a fad or a car gadget! Auxiliary blind spot mirrors are not the the latest automotive safety technology to make lane changing and merging safer. As you activate your blinker, LaneFX swings your side mirror outward to show you what may be lurking in your vehicle's blind spot. LaneFX is more compatible with the latest turn signal mirrors than stick-on convex blind spot mirrors. Since LaneFX doesn't take away any of the mirror surface (unlike stick-on fish eye mirrors), you can see Muth turn signal LED's with ease. Turn signal mirrors and LaneFX are the ultimate in total driver awareness. Check the best-selling Muth turn signal mirrors and see how easily they're compatible with LaneFX for a powerful safety result.

  • blind spot mirrors
  • lane change
  • Total driver awareness and safe driving even with when used with radar detectors.
  • Consumer Reports stresses the importance of proper lane check prior to merging or changing lanes.
  • Sonus SideVUE, is a good example of stick-on gadgets for your blind spot mirrors, but without real benefit of driving safety that Lane FX provides on any vehicle equipped with power mirrors, guaranteed!
  • Prevent accidents: Always check your blind spot zone before changing lanes or merging into highway traffic.

 

Make Safer Lane Changes Part of Your Daily Drive

10 Things You Can Do to Reduce Your Risk of Auto Collision

  1. Get a good start at intersections. This helps cut commute times for the individual as well as for countless others. Make it through one extra light and that’s an average of two minutes that isn’t wasted sitting in traffic.
  2. Don’t stop prematurely at yellow lights. Not only is it often highly dangerous (if the driver behind isn’t paying attention), it also wastes time, money and gas and promotes traffic congestion, stress and frustration.
  3. Utilize turns efficiently, especially right turns. How drivers perform turns determines how much time is wasted, and congestion is created for what can be hundreds, even thousands of drivers.
  4. At least match speeds on on-ramps and utilize the full length of the on-ramp. Merging early and failing to get up to speed on on-ramps often creates tremendous congestion, wastes time and gas and can be extremely dangerous.
  5. Let faster drivers by without slowing. This eliminates stress and they’ll likely eliminate large amounts of congestion farther ahead for you, thus saving you valuable time.
  6. Safely pass slower vehicles. Failing to swiftly and safely pass by slower vehicles — especially large vehicles such as motor homes and 18-wheelers — is the No. 1 cause of traffic congestion.
  7. Look ahead. Read traffic flow properly so that acceleration, deceleration and lane changes can be properly timed. The less often drivers have to slow down, the more fuel, time and money is saved and less traffic congestion is created.
  8. Change lanes properly. This will help prevent slowing, preferably without losing speed and without causing others to slow down.
  9. Utilize right and left turn combinations rather than sitting at red lights. Not only is gas, time and money being saved, there is less congestion at that light.

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By the time you complete a head turn to check your blind spot, your vehicle travels more than half of a football field. Unattended! 1

As you activate your turn signal, or at the press of a button, LaneFX moves your side mirror outward to sweep and expose your blind spot. It pauses long enough for you to see what may be lurking there. Then, it reliably returns your mirror to its original position.

LaneFX’s Patents Pending technology is packed with safety features and it's guaranteed to work in any vehicle equipped with power mirrors. It's safe, reliable and responsive, even at highway speeds.
LaneFX as featured in Sept '07 issue of Car & Driver magazine
"The [LaneFX] adjusters hold more potential than, say, Volvo's blind spot system, which... can't actually show you what's lurking unseen."
the top car gadget in the world of auto safety and mobile electronics
LaneFX as featured in The Wall Street Journal
The latest car technology:
"Systems That Keep an Eye on Blind Spots"
" It's amazing to me that it's a universally adaptable product! "
HGTV's I Want That! Tech Toys
as seen on Home & Garden Television's
"I Want That! Tech Toys"
the top car gadget in the world of auto safet and mobile electronics
" It consistently found those folks who seem to want to ride next to you, just off your back bumper. "
PC Magazine ExtremeTech LaneFX Review
PC Magazine's Extreme Tech Column: "the coolest product I never reviewed!"
" LaneFX will scan the blind spot without making the driver whip his head around and without add-on cameras. "
" The system holds promise because it meets a strong desire by consumers and is less expensive and more reliable than high-tech radar systems. "
Mobile Electronics
MADE IN USA.U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL PATENTS PENDING.
Drivaware reminds you to always wear you seatbelt, exercise caution when merging or changing lanes, obey all traffic laws and always rely on your primary senses when making all driving decisions. 1 Claim based on an average driver performing a typical head turn blind spot check in a median time of 1,800 milliseconds (source: NHTSA) resulting in an elapsed distance of 171.6 feet at 65mph (or 184.8 feet at 70mph). Drivaware, the Drivaware mirror icon logo, LaneFX and the LaneFX shield logo and tag line are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Drivaware Inc. Copyright © 2005-08 Drivaware® Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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auto safety turn your mirror, not your head slogan blind spot mirrors main graphic
LaneFX is a blind spot exposure system, not a detector. This means that LaneFX is by design, inherently incapable of displaying false positives
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