Reducing Accidents With Cwas

Among the many recent safety devices being developed by automotive companies is the collision warning and avoidance system (CWAS), a radar-based monitoring device which can acquire a detailed picture of the traffic situation in front of a vehicle and alert the driver of potential hazards. Already used by the US Army, it has proved an important aid in reducing accidents. A joint project between the US Army Tank-Automatic Armaments Command, Oakland University and the automotive industry has been examining ways of improving CWAS. This article explains how the system works and shows findings from experiments conducted during the project.