The 2010 Buick LaCrosse and its sophisticated new sheet metal has been on quite a roll recently for GM. In January and February, the car saw sales shoot up by 163.3 percent and 185.2 percent, respectively, then jump another 236.3 percent in March.
Those kind of numbers come courtesy of an extensive redesign for the current model year, which included not only an all-new exterior, but also a growing complement of high-tech accessories. Among the latest: Buick’s Side Blind Zone Alert.
The system is designed to help protect passengers from one of the most common causes of crashes: improper lane changes. According to GM, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says improper lane changes are a factor in up to 85 percent of all crashes.
Here’s how the Blind Zone Alert works to minimize these dangers: A cutting-edge radar array uses alternating beams to sweep the area behind and to the sides of the car, and is capable of detecting vehicles up to 10 feet behind the LaCrosse or in lanes immediately adjacent to it. If a vehicle is picked up on the radar, a warning symbol integrated with the side-view mirrors will light up. The symbol will then start flashing if the LaCrosse’s driver engages the turn signal in the direction of the detected vehicle.
“The blind-zone technology system enables the car to see where it is difficult for the driver to see,” said Kent Lybecker, a GM active safety systems engineer. “This technology makes lane changes safer because it alerts drivers to vehicles that otherwise might escape their vision.”
And it also makes another reason for buyers to take a good long look at the impressive 2010 Buick LaCrosse.
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