New safety features try to be nanny for your car

The two most important safety features on your vehicle aren't particularly high-tech: an attentive driver and good tires.

But mistakes can happen and so automakers offer numerous safety features, some of them almost futuristic, intended to help get you home in one piece.

Lane departure: Several companies offer versions, including Audi, BMW, Ford, Infiniti, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Volvo. These use small cameras to monitor road markings, sending a warning if you cross the line without using your turn signal, indicative of drifting out of your lane. Depending on the system, this can be a chime, light, vibration or slight pull in the steering wheel, or a tug on the seatbelt. Infiniti's system applies slight brake pressure on one side of the vehicle to prevent it from travelling out of its lane.

Collision avoidance: Several cars use radar or sonar for their active cruise control systems or parking monitors, but these can also be tied into systems that take action if collisions are anticipated. Most of the luxury manufacturers offer them on certain vehicles, as do mainstream brands including Ford and Toyota.

All monitor how fast the car is closing on the object in front and if the driver is taking evasive action. An oblivious operator triggers various results, depending on the manufacturer. These include combinations of brake "pre-loading" for faster stopping when the pedal is finally pushed; warning chimes; partial braking; and seatbelt tightening. All are intended to help the driver avoid the collision, or reduce the severity of the impact if he can't.

In addition to this high-speed system, Volvo also offers fender-bender protection with its City Safety system. Operational only at speeds under 30 km/h, it sends a warning if you're about to smack the vehicle ahead. Ignore it, and the car comes to a complete halt. It's a last-minute, unpleasant jolt: Volvo says it designed that in, so drivers don't substitute it for actually paying attention.

Attention reminders: A tired driver can be as deadly as one who's drunk. Long-haul truckers were first targeted, with gadgets such as monitors that fit over the ear. Now, integrated car systems are available from a few manufacturers, including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Saab and Volvo.

Mercedes's system, called Attention Assist, first learns your driving pattern and then watches for deviations. Sleepy drivers commonly veer slightly off course and then bring the wheel back. Drive like this, and the system chimes and flashes a coffee cup symbol to get its message across.

Volvo's Driver Alert Control uses a windshield-mounted camera that watches the lane markings and determines if the driver is following them normally. If the vehicle meanders, the system sends a warning.

Saab's version watches the driver, with infrared cameras that monitor the eyes and warn if they close for too long. Lexus's Driver Attention Monitor also uses a facial camera, but it's more for inattention than sleepiness: it warns if you're not looking ahead when the car's forward-facing radar detects an object in its path.

Blind-spot warnings: "I didn't see the other car" is one of the commonest excuses for crashes, partly because many drivers don't adjust their mirrors properly or check before changing lanes. These systems use cameras or radar sensors to monitor the so-called blind spots alongside both sides of the vehicle. Small warning lights illuminate in or alongside the mirrors when a vehicle is detected. Should you put your turn signal on anyway, the system sends a warning – a chime, brighter light, or steering wheel vibration, depending on the manufacturer. The systems only work above specific speeds, so you're not sitting in traffic with your mirrors lit up.

Several companies offer blind-spot systems, including Acura, Audi, BMW, Ford, GM, Mazda and Volvo.

Cross Traffic Alert: This new system offered by Ford and Lincoln uses radar sensors in the rear quarter panels and works in conjunction with the Blind Spot Information System. When you're backing out of a parking spot, it detects and warns of slow-moving traffic approaching up to 13 metres away.

Night vision: Currently offered by Mercedes-Benz and BMW, and coming on the all-new Audi A8, night-vision systems are intended to help drivers better see dangers such as pedestrians, animals or road signs in the dark. (Cadillac was one of the first to offer it, but no longer does.)

BMW uses thermal imaging – cameras that measure heat – which has a longer range. Mercedes's infrared system has shorter range, but gives a clearer image and works better in warm weather. The black-and-white image appears in a dash-mounted screen. It can be mesmerizing, but the idea is to scan it rather than watch it.

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