The trickle-down theory may be best known for its economic
application, but it’s an idea that’s relevant to the automotive sphere
as well, especially in regards to safety. Features like antilock brakes,
airbags and stability control first came about in high-end luxury
sedans and gradually propagated to more mainstream vehicles before
eventually becoming required standard equipment in all cars sold in the
U.S. These days, active safety technologies are making their way into
more affordable, mainstream cars and are even factored into the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s vehicle safety ratings.
We compiled a list of the least expensive new vehicles that are equipped with a basic suite of active safety technologies. Each qualifying car had to be equipped with the following: a blind spot monitor (BSM), a lane departure warning system (LDW), forward collision warning (FCW), and a backup camera. Just as a refresher, we’ll explain what each of these systems do.
- Blind spot monitor (BSM): uses lenses or other sensors to detect if another vehicle has entered in either the left or right blind spot areas. It then displays a visual and/or audio warning to alert the driver of the other vehicle’s presence.
- Forward collision warning (FCW): uses radar, laser, and/or camera sensors to detect an impending collision. From there, systems vary on what action is taken. Some notify the driver with flashing lights and an audio warning, whereas some also ready the seatbelt pretensioners in the case of a crash. Higher-end FCW systems can also engage the brakes to help lessen the impact speed or avoid the collision altogether.
- Lane departure warning (LDW): cameras are able to detect lane markings and alert the driver if the car is drifting outside of the lane without the driver signaling. More complex versions of LDW can also intervene and use the steering to correct the car’s course and keep it in its lane.
- Backup camera: mounted on the rear of the vehicle, this camera provides an image of the area behind the car on a central display screen on the dashboard.
We compiled a list of the least expensive new vehicles that are equipped with a basic suite of active safety technologies. Each qualifying car had to be equipped with the following: a blind spot monitor (BSM), a lane departure warning system (LDW), forward collision warning (FCW), and a backup camera. Just as a refresher, we’ll explain what each of these systems do.
- Blind spot monitor (BSM): uses lenses or other sensors to detect if another vehicle has entered in either the left or right blind spot areas. It then displays a visual and/or audio warning to alert the driver of the other vehicle’s presence.
- Forward collision warning (FCW): uses radar, laser, and/or camera sensors to detect an impending collision. From there, systems vary on what action is taken. Some notify the driver with flashing lights and an audio warning, whereas some also ready the seatbelt pretensioners in the case of a crash. Higher-end FCW systems can also engage the brakes to help lessen the impact speed or avoid the collision altogether.
- Lane departure warning (LDW): cameras are able to detect lane markings and alert the driver if the car is drifting outside of the lane without the driver signaling. More complex versions of LDW can also intervene and use the steering to correct the car’s course and keep it in its lane.
- Backup camera: mounted on the rear of the vehicle, this camera provides an image of the area behind the car on a central display screen on the dashboard.
