HOME: Are you looking for a great technology or auto safety story idea? Look no further than the award-winning LaneFX and ParkFX auto safety systems. LaneFX is an industry-leading auto safety and lane change blind spot mirror technology. But at the same time, it makes for a great new gadget story because it addresses a problem that every driver out there can identify with. So go ahead! Download our LaneFX Media Kit and get your thought-starters instantly. Plus, be sure to check out the LaneFX auto safety DVD (also available in streaming video) and experience LaneFX in its natural habitat: America's highways. LaneFX: It's much more than a blind spot mirror, much more than a car gadget!
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Drivaware announces LaneFX - The First Active Blind Spot Exposure System Ann Arbor, Mich., June 5, 2006 - Drivaware® Inc. today announced the production release and immediate availability of its debut driver awareness product: LaneFX™. LaneFX® is an innovative automotive product that transforms a vehicle's power side mirrors into an on-demand Active Blind Spot Exposure System. Whenever a turn signal is activated, or at the press of a button, LaneFX® moves the corresponding power mirror outward to sweep and expose the vehicle's blind spot. It pauses long enough for
the driver to scan for any objects that may be lurking in the blind spot zone. Then, it reliably returns the power side mirror back to its original, driver-set position. "We're always looking for added revenue opportunities from a every vehicle sale." says Jeff Scott, Principal and General Manager, Dick Scott Automotive Group based in metro Detroit, Mich., "it's always challenging to introduce aftermarket products after a customer has decided on a vehicle. We signed on with the LaneFX® Pilot Dealer Program because I was impressed with how simply the product can be demonstrated to vehicle buyers and how quickly our customers see value in its impact on their daily commute." "We've all been taught to turn our heads away from the traffic ahead to check our blind spot. During an average blind spot check, a vehicle travels
more than half of a football field, unattended!"
adds Khaled Malhas, "With LaneFX™, we allow drivers to stay focused on the road ahead while showing the contents of their blind spot zone using a comfortable, familiar interface: The vehicle's
side mirror." LaneFX® is available now through select auto dealers, aftermarket retailers and directly through LaneFX.com. The current production release of the LaneFX® product line features a number of Patent Pending innovations, including: 1. Mirror Speed Boost: safely accelerates power mirror motor speeds up to 200% of OEM speed for maximum responsiveness, 2. Turn Signal Link: with "Normal" and "Sticky" turn signal modes to suit any driving style, 3. Merge Mode: holds a mirror outward for as long as the driver needs to merge into traffic, 4. Intelligent Installs Technology: LaneFX® can self-learn the electrical configuration of the host vehicle with no need for complex programming, 5. ParkFX - Park Assist & Curb Exposure System: tilts one or both side mirrors downwards when the vehicle is engaged in reverse, and 6. "Mirror-in-Motion" LED indicators. Drivaware Inc. was founded in 2004 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Drivaware's mission is to produce safe, innovative automotive technologies that enhance drivers' focus and
alleviate common anxieties associated with driving a motor vehicle. In addition to LaneFX® and ParkFX, Drivaware's debut product line includes: LaneXRT (featuring eXtended Reflection: The first
electrochromatic blind spot exposure system for OEM application), and BrakeFX, the first emergency braking awareness system.
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If You're Looking for a Blind Spot Mirror for Your Car, Consider the Safer Solution.LaneFX is not some speeding auto gadget that you'll never see again. Try it! Even with dual blind spot mirrors, you'll still have a distorted rear view LaneFX is being used by drivers everywhere: Gear heads and mobile electronics enthusiasts. Women drivers in large minivans and SUVs. Elderly / senior drivers (check out the current LaneFX discount for all AARP members, and all drivers who commute over 18,000 miles per year. |
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Double Lane Change Increases SUV Rollover RiskDrivaware 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. |
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Steering Wheels Get More and More ButtonsThe steering wheel is quickly become the control center for the entire vehicle. Auto manufacturer's are using the steering wheel to add new buttons and controls for everything from controlling the radio to switching gears. USA Today reports that many cars already have 10 to 15 different buttons on the steering wheel: The fingertip frenzy isn't just about luxury cars, either. Sure, the $73,750 Range Rover SUV offers 10 buttons or toggles, not including the horn. And the $49,100 Acura RL sedan has 16, in addition to two thumb paddles for manually changing gears. But Toyota's humble — albeit fully-loaded — $26,040 Prius gas-electric hybrid sedan includes 15 places to mash a thumb into the steering wheel.Many more steering wheel control buttons are expected in future vehicles. USA Today's article said the new Mercedes-Benz M-Class will "let drivers control the volume and play list of their Apple iPod digital music players from the steering wheel." But voice commands are coming as well which may make these buttons less important. Why press a button when you can just say "Window Washers On. Maximum Speed." Auto manufacturers will have to caution to keep these steering wheel buttons and voice commands from getting out of hand. |
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Are You Blind To Backup Danger?Drivaware and Safe4Kids Tests Show Larger Vehicles Have Larger Blind SpotsIf you have a sport utility vehicle, it is probably because they are big and you believe they're safer than other vehicles. But Drivaware and Safe4Kids News has uncovered some information about a safety issue that affects virtually every vehicle on the road. When you back your vehicle up, you look in the rearview mirror, and it is easy to see if an adult is in the way. But what if a small child is standing there? Statistics show that 28,000 children were taken to emergency rooms last year when they were run over by a vehicle backing up. Before you get behind the wheel, you'd better know more about your vehicle's blind spot. Robin Giglio's 22-month-old son Hayden, somehow got behind the family SUV as they were backing away from his grandparents' house. "I relive the accident every day," Giglio said. "Hayden ran behind the car and I couldn't see him at all and I hit him." Drivaware and Safe4Kids's Investigators went to a supermarket parking lot and placed orange cones the size of a small child behind some vehicles that were backing out. The people in the vehicles checked their mirrors and took their time backing up, but they couldn't see the cone because of the blind spot. If it had been a child, he or she could have been seriously injured, if not killed. With the help of John Long of AAA Mid-Atlantic, Drivaware and Safe4Kids set up a blind spot demonstration with Alexis and Annemarie volunteering to be the drivers. Cones were placed directly behind different cars, vans, pickups and SUVs. In an older-model Toyota Corolla, Alexis didn't spot the cone until it was moved 9.5 feet behind her. However, Annemarie spotted it sooner -- after 8 feet 3 inches. Why was there a difference with the exact same car? Annemarie is 8 inches taller than Alexis. The shorter you are, the harder it is to spot things when you back up. In the demonstration, Drivaware and Safe4Kids discovered that the bigger the vehicle, the bigger the blind spot. With a Jeep Grand Cherokee, the blind spot was over 20 feet 5 inches. The Ford Windstar's blind spot was about 25 feet and the Land Rover had a 36-foot blind spot. Drivaware and Safe4Kids found out it was even worse when the blind spot was directly behind the spare tire and the middle seat headrest. Alexis couldn't see the cone for over 182 feet -- that's over half the length of a football field. You can reduce your blind spot, Long said. "In the third seat of a passenger van, put it down in the resting position and it will give you somewhat greater visibility as you look over your shoulder," Long said. Many vehicles have sensors that beep when something is close. You can also reduce your blind spot by raising your power seat to let you see at a greater angle. If you don't have a power seat make sure you turn around and lift yourself up as much as possible -- that always reduced the blind spot in tests by AAA Mid-Atlantic. You should also always make sure you look behind the vehicle before getting in and hit the horn briefly to warn anybody who might be in your blind spot. |
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LaneFX proven better solution to the blind spot problem than stick-on convex blind spot mirrorsWhy 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 spotsThe 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.
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PC Magazine Hails LaneFX as "One of The Collest Products" Reviewed!Let me tell you about the coolest product I never reviewed. It's a wonderfully complex solution to a problem that shouldn't even be a problem. This product, LaneFX, is a microcontroller that interacts with the side mirrors in your car. You want to change lanes, and you glance in your side mirror. It looks clear. But in your LaneFX-equipped car, you can press a button and the mirror sweeps out to show you the blind spot beyond the limit of your peripheral vision. Then it returns to its normal position. If you flick on your turn signal, the mirror also does its sweep. It works on either side of the car, and it also has an extended mode for when you want to keep an eye on traffic alongside and behind you, as when you're merging onto a freeway. Now let's say you're going to parallel-park. You slip your car into reverse—and the right mirror angles itself downward so you can see the curb. Although that's the end of the LaneFX's bag of tricks, it's just the beginning of the ways it can be implemented. You can customize how far each mirror moves, how long it pauses, and how long it takes to get there. You can even make mistakes in hooking up the wires to the mirror motors; the microcontroller has a learn mode so you can teach it which wires to use to control each motion. An LCD screen prompts you through every step of the procedure.
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