The Nissan system did a great job in saving me from constantly tinkering with the brake and the accelerator as the distance between the two vehicles closed and lengthened during the presentation.
But it also kept me from running into the back of the Nissan ahead of mine when I simulated a sudden fog bank on a 4-lane highway by closing my eyes. The car slowed on its own as the gap closed and it would have brought me to a complete stop on its own if I didn't have the brains or the ability to do it sooner.
While it wouldn't help in fog for reasons that will be obvious when I explain how it works, Nissan's "lane keeping" system could be of great help in other situations that often lead to crashes.
Using a camera and some sophisticated software, the "lane keeping" device follows the painted lines in the road and alerts the driver if she or he allows the vehicle to get literally out of line.
In fact, Nissan's "lane keeping" device will do more than that, as a hands-off drive at 100 km/h made clear. It will in fact keep you rolling safely down the middle of your side of highway by turning the wheel as required to stay on course.And when this device is teamed up with adaptive cruise control, it is easy to see how you could safely go great distances without ever having to touch either the steering wheel or the pedals.It is this picture of a person with no active duties for long periods which makes questions about driver responsibility come bounding to the front of every reasonable mind, but a blanket condemnation may be too much.