Jones’s V70 has the most advanced system. It comes with DSTC — a dynamic stability and traction control system — to ensure it maintains grip on the road and the driver remains in control, even on wet surfaces or around sharp bends. If one or both driven wheels start to spin, torque is reduced until they regain their grip. The system also increases stability around bends and reduces understeer when pulling out of them and counteracts skidding before it starts by constantly comparing the direction of the car with the steering wheel movements. If there is any tendency to slide, the brakes are instantly applied to one or more wheels as necessary to retain control.
For this test, Griffiths laid out a line of cones for a simple slalom. The drivers were told to drive as fast as they dared through the five cones, turn around and come back. In the new cars, all the drivers found the task relatively straightforward. The cars gripped the road as they weaved through the slalom.
But when trying to repeat the test in the old BMW the drivers all ran into trouble. They swung about wildly and Chester was soon heading into a 360-degree spin. The others just managed to keep control of the car but only by creeping round the cones at a snail’s pace. “The BMW was completely raw,” said a shaken Chester, after the test. “It was impossible to keep in line. It was like driving a bus.”
THE VERDICT
After four hours of driving, our volunteers were surprised at just how much they relied on modern safety systems and certainly left Crowthorne with no desire to return to the good old days of 1990.
Even allowing for the fact that the BMW’s technology was 15 years out of date Griffiths was shocked by our drivers’ lack of safety awareness. “This just goes to show that the boffins can come up with new safety ideas and the marketing men can sell them to buyers but the truth is that most drivers don’t understand them or how to drive to make the most of them,” he said.
“This test also showed how far car design has come. Modern cars not only have stability and traction control, they also have better tyres, better suspension and overall dynamics. Technology has moved on and drivers have been left behind.”
Page two: the initials that spell hi-tech help()Continued from page one
THE INITIALS THAT SPELL HI-TECH HELP
ABS (antilock braking system)
Stops the wheels locking under heavy braking, allowing the driver to retain control and prevent skidding. As the wheels begin to lock up, sensors release and reapply pressure at a rate of up to 12 times per second. Now standard on all new mass-produced cars
ACC (active/adaptive cruise control)
Maintains a safe distance between your car and the vehicle in front using a radar device in the front grille. Automatically brakes or slows the car down if it senses the car in front doing the same or increases speed up to a pre-set limit
AFL (adaptive forward lighting)
Headlamps that adjust with speed and steering angle to give a broader spread of light and greater night visibility in all road conditions
CBC (cornering brake control)
Makes the car easier to stop while cornering by applying different levels of brake pressure to each wheel
DDS (deflation detection system)
Sensors on each tyre valve detect loss of pressure, giving the driver an early warning if the car suffers from a puncture or if the tyre pressures are low
EBA (emergency brake assist)
Adds extra force to the brakes when it senses you are braking in an emergency to reduce stopping distances significantly
EBD (electronic brake force distribution)
Adjusts brake force distribution to maintain optimum braking on all wheels (compensating for weight transfer). Works in tandem with ABS and helps prevent the rear wheels locking
ESP (electronic stability program)
Helps prevent skidding by reducing engine power or braking an individual wheel to regain control if slip is detected
LKAS (lane-keeping assist system)
Honda’s system identifies the boundaries of the vehicle’s lane by processing images from a camera mounted behind the windscreen. It then provides the optimum steering torque to help keep the vehicle in the centre of the lane. Volvo is developing a similar system called “driver alert” that will issue a warning if it senses the driver drifting off course and will be introduced on some models later this year.
Rops (rollover protection system)
This Volvo system incorporates a range of safety measures designed to minimise the chance of rollover accidents and offer extra protection in the event of the car turning over. It includes airbags that stay inflated longer to allow for repeated rollovers and a reinforced steel roof and pillars to prevent crumpling
Sips (side impact protection system)
Introduced by Volvo in 1991, Sips is designed to absorb the force of a side-impact collision. Its features include impact-protection bars in the side doors and front seats that will move slightly sideways away from the impact
TCS (traction control system)
Progressively applies the brakes to a driven wheel that is losing grip, may also retard the throttle to reduce power until it matches the available grip. Helps to maintain grip on loose, wet or changing surfaces
UCL (understeer control logic)
A system that operates on the front wheels, closing the throttle and increasing brake pressure in situations where the nose of the car pushes wide through corners
