VW Latest Developments in Vehicle Dynamics and Safety

Progress protects. Nowhere does progress of this kind have such a direct impact on people’s lives as in the medical and transportation fields. Advances in medicine heal people and even prevent disease. Advances in transportation technology protect people when accidents occur and even prevent accidents from happening. The latter aspect relates to accident avoidance, and applied to the automobile it is referred to as active safety. Volkswagen relies on progress and for decades now has been developing automobiles whose potential for active safety has been pioneering.

Good article and a good side of the topic to report on. I recently received our Infiniti FX for our long term review, and while it doesn't have the Lexus type accident avoidance, it does have some other features which I hope will trickle down into the non-luxury market.

Most notably, the lane departure and the "preview" braking system which automatically pressurizes the brake lines when it detects an object approaching you that you will probably not react in time fast enough to avoid. You have full brake power the moment you hit the pedal. I've already felt it =/, and I'm sure living here in Boston, it's going to get a work out ;).

But ya, these advances REALLY do make a noticable impact on driver and passenger safety for sure.

...and while it doesn't have the Lexus type accident avoidance...

^Something that Mercedes invented in 1997. It was called PRE-SAFE. Just thought you should know. ;)^