Just Let Me Drive
by Gary Woods

There are some products that can make your driving experience a lot safer. Most of us have used Cruise Control but now there's Active Cruise Control (ACC) which uses Radar or laser sensors to look for traffic in the lane in front of you. The system will apply the brakes slowing you down to as little as 20 miles per hour then return you to speed when the obstacle is gone. For some reason ACC doesn't do well in dense traffic and it doesn't function above 90 mph. These systems range from $600 to $3,000.

Another product is Lane Departure Warning (LDW). With this device a forward facing camera tucked in with the center rearview mirror watches for pavement markings on the road ahead and beeps if you veer onto or near the markings unless your turn signal is on. Currently LDW can be found in only a few vehicles including Infiniti using the Iteris/Valeo technology and in a bunch of 18-wheel trucks.

Another system which I think should be a must on all new cars is the use of sonar and backup cameras. Sensors in the back bumper (sometimes in front, too) start to beep as you approach an object and become more insistent as the hazard gets nearer. These features run about $250 to $500. There are two downsides, all this can add as much as $5,000 to the price of a car and it doesn't work too well in snow or rain.

If you have any suggestions or questions for me please drop me a note at garyandlaury@santabarbaraproperties.com or see my column on the Internet at http://www.santabarbaraproperties.com or call me at (805) 729-0910