ADAS is Honda's Advanced Driver Assist System comprising Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).
It is the first time that ADAS has been available across the Accord range and the first time that CMBS has been made available in this market.
These technologies have been covered in our Honda Accord Tourer Review but here's a brief description. CMBS uses radar sensors to warn of an imminent collision. At first this is by way of an audio-visual alert followed by a tug on the seatbelt and light braking if these alerts are not heeded. If this doesn't prompt a response the system further tensions the seatbelt and brakes harder. The system will not stop the car hence the word 'Mitigation' in the title and, unless avoiding action is taken, the collision might still occur.
Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) has cameras in the upper front windscreen that monitor the lane the car is in. If it detects that the car is drifting into an adjacent lane, that is to say without prior indication or definite steering input from the driver, it assumes that the driver has fallen asleep at the wheel and emits a beep. Again, if there is no response, the car will gently steer itself back on course.
The system operates between speeds of 45-112mph and, as none of these gadgets are, it is not foolproof and therefore no excuse to sit back and do nothing. Furthermore, if the system detects that the driver has taken his or her hands off the steering wheel, it will switch itself off altogether.
Adaptive Cruise Control has a function that automatically adjusts the speed of the car to maintain the set distance between the Honda Accord and the vehicle in front, using beeps and warnings along the way. The driver can choose what that distance is but there are pre-sets within the system.
These measures aside, the Honda Accord gained an overall 5-star rating in the 2009 Euro NCAP safety tests. As well as Trailer Stability Assist, the whole range is fitted with Vehicle Stability Assist or VSA. It helps to maintain control during cornering. It has a form of traction control built in that detects wheelspin under acceleration and applies a mix of torque and braking to the spinning wheel to retain grip.
The system also reduces the engine output slightly and while it works well on loose surfaces, unless the special 18-inch Type-S wheels are fitted with suitable tyres or snow-chains, it can't be expected to and doesn't work in snow and ice, as I found out during the test week, that happened to coincide with the first snowfall of the season. But then, there are very few cars that can cope with those conditions.
This is a 14-year+ news article, from our Honda archive, which dates back to the year 2000.
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