How Ford’s Blind Spot Information System With Cross Traffic Alert Can Help Curb Road Crash Statistics

Driving in heavy traffic can be stressful and even if you keep an eye on your mirrors, it’s easy to miss vehicles that may have moved into your blind spots without you noticing. It doesn’t take much for a momentary lapse of concentration to escalate quickly.

In 2018 in Dubai alone, 59 people were killed and 495 others were injured in 438 crashes police said were caused by drivers swerving out of their lane and into another.

In fact, poor lane discipline is a global problem which accounts for an alarming number of road fatalities every year. Some experts estimate that up to 33% of all crashes are caused by drivers who fail to maintain correct lane discipline. Which is why driver assist features like Ford’s BLIS® with Cross Traffic Alert are so important.

Fitted to almost every Ford as standard, BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross-Traffic Alert forms part of Ford’s new CoPilot360® suite of driver assist features. It uses radars to monitor your blind spots when driving and also when reversing out of a car park or driveway, and alerts you of any dangers you may have not seen or noticed.

“Ford has always put the safety of its customers first with seamless technology that helps take away the stress of driving,” said Jamie Rae, Marketing director, Ford Middle East. “By constantly monitoring driving blind spots – both on the road and when reversing out of carparks with a restricted view of oncoming traffic, pedestrians and cyclists, BLIS with Cross Traffic Alert really has your back, both on the road and in the carpark.”

BLIS uses two radar sensors located behind each rear wheel to monitor the driver’s blind spots. If it detects a vehicle in either blind spot, it alerts the driver by illuminating an indicator in the wing mirror. The system is automatically engaged when the car is placed in Drive, so there’s no need for the driver to have to remember to set it.

Cross-Traffic Alert uses the same sensors to monitor approaching vehicles when slowly backing out of a parking spot or reversing onto a road. If it detects a vehicle or bicycle approaching from either side, the sideview mirror indicator illuminates and a series of tones sound to warn the driver. The message centre will also flash up a warning, telling the driver that a vehicle is approaching from the left or the right. Again, the system automatically engages when vehicle is placed in Reverse, so the driver doesn’t need to remember to set anything.

Editor’s note: Driver-assist features are supplemental and do not replace the driver’s attention, judgment and need to control the vehicle.

BLIS with Cross Traffic Alert is available on EcoSport, Escape, Edge, Explorer, Expedition, Taurus, Ranger and F-150. It also forms part of the 2019 Edge Co-Pilot 360 suite of driver assist technologies.