Ford will introduce two new safety features in the US from 2009 to aid drivers’ visibility: Blind spot mirror and Blind spot monitor.
The Blind spot mirror will become standard equipment – augmenting traditional side view mirrors – and features an integrated convex spotter mirror aimed directly at the vehicle’s blind spot.
The Blind spot monitor uses radar to alert the driver to nearby traffic while the car is in reverse and, in forward gears, warns when a vehicle enters the blind spot.
The cross traffic alert feature works in conjunction with the radar-based blind spot monitoring system, using two multiple-beam radar modules packaged in the rear quarter panels – one per side. The radar identifies when a vehicle enters the blind spot zone and illuminates an indicator light on the corresponding side view mirror providing a warning that a vehicle is approaching.
Cross traffic alert uses the radar when in reverse to pick up moving objects within a 65-foot range from either the left or right side of the vehicle. The radar also works when backing out of angled parking spaces because its view is wide enough to sense more than just traffic approaching at a 90-degree angle.