Although we are definitely some years away from fully automated self-driving cars, Honda has made a significant step towards the dream of hands-free driving with the introduction of our intelligent suite of driver assist technologies called Honda Sensing.
Honda Sensing is a suite of six technologies that improve situational awareness, and in some cases, sees the vehicle intervene to help the driver avoid a collision or lessen its severity.
One of the six technologies is the Lane Keeping Assist System, a function that reads the lane markings and senses as you drift from its centre, applying corrective steering to maintain perfect lane position.
Along with a killer mix-tape it is the ideal long drive friend. The intelligent feature was also highlighted recently in a Channel 7’s News report on driverless cars. In case you missed it, the report highlighted how close Honda is to achieveing the hands-free driving dream in Australia.
During one of the regular maintenance closures, the EastLink tunnel became a demonstration ground, with the Channel 7 news crew testing out the tech to help build consumer confidence in technologies such as Honda Sensing- technologies that drivers are often fearful of or think are out of their price range.
The Honda Australia and Channel 7 teams get ready to test the Honda Sensing tech
The Channel 7 team experienced first-hand how the Lane Keeping Assist System works when they took a spin in the new Honda Civic VTi-LX through the closed tunnel under controlled conditions with Honda Australia General Manager of Customer & Communications, Mr. Scott McGregor.
Once the Lane Keeping Assist System was turned on, the Honda Civic sensed when Mr. McGregor was deliberately drifting from the lane and it instantly reported for duty, engaging the system to gently steer the car back into the centre of the lane.
If you’re experiencing it for the first time, the Honda Sensing package might feel as if the car has a mind of its own. While the gentle corrective steering is very slight, it can still be a little unnerving for those drivers not yet familiar with driver-assistance features. Don’t forget, there was such a time when we were apprehensive of Bluetooth, cruise control, and climate control! It’s all about familiarisation with new technologies and understanding what they can do for you.
And this is the exact reason the Honda Sensing exercise was conducted, to reassure people that these systems are designed to assist in your driving experience.
As autonomous driving continues to become less a dream and more a reality, Honda is on a mission to ensure its customers feel informed on the safety evolutions in its cars, so keep an eye out for future reports on Honda Sensing.
While we aren’t yet at the stage of building our garages for our aerocars a-la George Jetson, we are certainly making steps towards it.