Lane Departure Vision Systems

Lane Departure Vision Systems

Lane departure warning systems are standard on most vehicles today. They alert drivers when they are about to leave the lane, and remind them to return to it. There are many versions of lane-departure vision systems, including those that steer the car away from the edge and even keep it centered.

The lane departure system uses a camera that is mounted on the windshield near the rearview mirror. It continuously monitors the lane markings, both striped and solid. This lane-departure warning system is a part of the circle for safety, which includes the three most useful and common driver assistances: protecting you from the front (adaptive cruising control with forward collision warning), the side (lane-departure warning), and the rear (blind spot detector).

Three major types of lane departure warnings exist:

Lane Keep Assist: This assists the vehicle after it has drifted far enough. The vehicle then turns away from the lane marking. The driver then has to re-center their car within the lane. The system is also known as lane-keeping system, lane assistance, side assist, steering assist with lane departure alert (Toyota), and lane departure prevention.

Lane Departure Warning: The original system. This is only a warning. The car will warn drivers if they let their car drift onto the lane marking or over it. The driver must then steer the car back into the middle of their lane. If the road is not marked with lane markings, it won’t work. If the lane markings have faded, it may not work or not as well. It can be difficult to see the dots on lane markings, especially when their color has faded. The camera can have problems if it is raining or snowing. The lane departure system is not designed to alert drivers if their turn signals are on or (in some cars) when they apply the brakes.

Lane Centering Assist: The best and latest system is available, provided the driver has faith in the technology. This is a proactive system. The Lane Centering Assist always attempts to keep the vehicle centered within the current lane. The system works as long the car detects the presence of hands on the steering wheel and that the curves are not too sharp. The vehicle equipped with adaptive cruise control and lane centering assistance has the makings of self-driving. The combination will at least save drivers from being inattentive as they speed, looking down to a playlist or scanning text on a full screen for 5-10 seconds. The term “lane centering assistance” is less well-known than the other terms.

The use of lane departure warning systems can be a great safety feature. They can protect drivers and passengers from accidents such as:

• A car traveling in a similar direction could be “sideswiped” by another vehicle.
• Hitting a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction
• Rollovers are common when a vehicle leaves a road.

Our automotive lenses are used by many of the major players in the automotive industry. We offer a wide variety of precision lenses and lens assemblies that are highly compatible with lane departure warning systems.