New Car Technology that Make Life Better and Safer
by Lauren Fix, The Car Coach®

I'm so excited to show you some of the coolest innovations in cars, including self-healing paint, blind-spot detection, and real-time data giving you nearby gas prices and movie listings. This new technology will make your life easier and safer.

Self healing paint -  Nissan has invented a transparent vehicle body paint that repairs scratches on its own. Even if the car is attacked with a coin the paint should be able to cope with the damage. Within about a week, the paint will repair the scratch. "Of course, you could speed the whole process up by pouring some warm water over the affected area - that would probably repair it in a matter of minutes," explained a spokeperson.  The thickness of the coating is about the same as a normal coat of paint, which means that it will repair scratches made to that depth.

Lane Departure Warning System - Buick Lucerne's Lane Departure Warning system uses a camera located between the inside rear- view mirror and the windshield to detect lane
markings on the road and alert drivers when they inadvertently stray from the lane.

When GM's Lane Departure Warning System is engaged, a driver traveling at 35 mph or more who crosses a detected lane marking without signaling is alerted in two ways: The system's flashes an amber indicator light located in the fuel gauge of the instrument panel, and an alerting chime of three beeps is played. The system does not steer the vehicle; it is designed only to alert drivers so they can take appropriate action to move the vehicle back into the lane.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 200,000 car crashes a year happen due to automobiles leaving their lanes. The causes range from driver distraction to driver fatigue. A Lane Departure Warning system alerts a driver when he's leaving his lane without signaling. A recent University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute-led study also revealed that lane departure warning systems can help drivers do a better job of staying in their lanes and promote greater use of turn signals.

Blind-Spot Detection - Audi calls it "side assist" has developed blind-spot detection the first to embed a pair of 27-GHz radar transceivers in the back bumper. Active above 30 mph, Side Assist senses cars coming up on your left or right. When they come within the critical blind-spot area that you can't see in the mirrors, about a car length or two behind (alerts vary with speed), a column of yellow LEDs illuminate along the inside edge of the side mirrors. They're visible when you glance at the mirror, but they don't blind you by shining directly into your eyes. Flip the turn signal, and the LEDs flash very noticeably.

Collision Mitigation Braking System - Acura will offer this systems which predicts rear-end collisions and assists brake operation to reduce impact on occupants and vehicle damage. This system determines the likelihood of a collision based on driving conditions, distance to the vehicle ahead, and relative speeds, and uses visual and audio warnings to prompt the driver to take preventative action. It can also initiate braking to reduce the vehicle's speed.

Travel Link - this system gives drivers gas prices in addition to delivering over 130 channels of the best sports, entertainment, talk and 100% commercial-free music, SIRIUS now offers premium data services that works in  conjunction with compatible navigation systems. SIRIUS Travel Link brings a wealth of useful  information into your vehicle and right to your fingertips:

Real-time traffic data with speed/flow and incident information
National Weather Information -Current and forecasted weather
Fuel Prices - it Checks local gas and diesel prices
Sports Scores - In-game and final scores as well as weekly schedules
Movie Listings - Check local movie theatres and listings

All 2009 model year Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with the Next Generation  Navigation system include six months service of SIRIUS Satellite Radio and six months service  of SIRIUS Travel Link.

Want to get more tips and great advice from The Car Coach?  Tune in to one of her programs!