LaneFX is not like blind spot mirrors. It's only a mobile electronics system that moves your power mirrors in lane changes and merges.

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Don't Forget About Your Backup Blind Spots

Available ParkFX is the best park assist system to show you the parking boundaries and dangers around you when you're backing up

Kids ‘N Cars, a consumer organization working to make it safer for children to be around cars, is calling attention to the problem of the blind spot--that area behind the vehicle that you can’t see from the driver’s seat. The organization notes that at least 58 children were backed over and killed last year alone.

How big can the backup blind spot be? We measured a sedan, minivan, SUV, and pickup to find out. We used a 28-inch-high traffic cone, measuring how far behind the vehicle it would have to be before an average (5 feet 8 inches) and short (5 feet 1 inch) driver could see it. Larger vehicles tend to have a significantly larger blind spot. (Studies show the length of each blind spot; lighter for an average-height driver, darker for a shorter driver.)

Later in 2006, tests will be published on backup sensors and rear-view video backup warning cameras that could help to reduce the blind-spot problem. It’s best to always look carefully behind the vehicle before you get in and again before you put the car in gear. Also, always back up slowly.

Top 5 Auto Safety Technologies

Which of the often-expensive new technology might really save your life? Cars and trucks have become a lot safer in the past decade, but some 43,000 people still die every year on U.S. highways. To be sure you and your family do not wind up among these statistics, you want the latest and best auto safety equipment available when you buy a new car. But unless you can afford a luxury car--where most safety gear will be standard--you will have to make choices about how much to spend on optional auto safety equipment.

Some state-of-the-art auto safety devices--such as blind spot detection systems --aim to help you survive once an accident happens. Others--even better--help to control skids and other dangerous situations, aiming to avoid accidents entirely. To stay safe, you ideally need both preventive and protective equipment. New auto safety gear may be especially important if you are thinking about buying a sport utility vehicle (SUV).

J.D. Power & Associates' Consumer Ratings of Top 5 Auto Safety Technologies:

  1. Tire-pressure monitoring
  2. LaneFX style blind-spot detection / side assist / collision warning
  3. Lane-departure warning
  4. Emergency brake assist/collision mitigation
  5. Rearview backup camera

Key Strategies for Total Driver On-Road Awareness

Defensive Driving is the Number One Key to Safe Driving Habits

If you've been out on the roads, you know that not everyone drives well. Some people speed aggressively. Others wander into another lane because they aren't paying attention. Drivers may follow too closely, make sudden turns without signaling, or weave in and out of traffic.

Aggressive drivers are known road hazards, causing one third of all traffic crashes. But inattentive driving is becoming more of a problem as people "multi-task" by talking on the phone, eating, or even watching TV as they drive. We can't control the actions of other drivers. But learning defensive driving skills can help us avoid the dangers caused by other people's bad driving.

Skills That Put You in Control

Before you get behind the wheel of all that glass and steel, here are some tips to help you stay in control:

Stay focused. There are a lot of things to think about when driving: road conditions, your speed, observing traffic laws and signals, following directions, being aware of the cars around you, checking your mirrors - the list goes on. Staying focused on driving - and only driving - is key.

Distractions, like talking on the phone or eating, make a driver less able to see potential problems. It's not just teen drivers who are at fault: People who have been driving for a while can get overconfident in their driving knowledge and let their driving skills get sloppy. All drivers need to remind themselves to stay focused.

Stay alert. Being alert (not sleepy or under the influence) allows you to react quickly to potential problems - like when the driver in the car ahead slams on the brakes at the last minute. Obviously, alcohol or drugs (including prescription and over-the-counter drugs) affect a driver's reaction time and judgment. Driving while tired has the same effect and is one of the leading causes of accidents. So rest up before your road trip.

Watch out for the other guy. Part of staying in control is being aware of the drivers around you and what they may suddenly do so you're less likely to be caught off guard. For example, if a car speeds past you on the highway but there's not much space between the car and a slow-moving truck in the same lane, it's a pretty sure bet the driver will try to pull into your lane directly in front of you. Anticipating what another driver may do prepares you to react.

Seven Secrets to Total Driving Awareness

When you drive defensively, you're taking control of the situation and keeping your eyes open for aggressive or inattentive drivers who might cause an accident. Here are seven easy things you can do:

  1. Think safety first. Avoiding aggressive and inattentive driving tendencies yourself will put you in a stronger position to deal with other people's bad driving. Leave plenty of space between you and the car in front. Always lock your doors and wear your seatbelt to protect you from being thrown from the car in a crash.
  2. Be aware of your surroundings. Check your mirrors frequently and scan conditions far ahead of you. If a vehicle is showing signs of aggressive driving, slow down or pull over to avoid it. If the driver is driving so dangerously that you're worried, try to get off the road or highway by turning right or taking the next exit if it's safe to do so.
  3. Assume the worst. Assume that drivers will run through red lights or stop signs and be prepared to react. While driving, imagine that other drivers (especially truck drivers) don't see you when you are making your way into their path. Also, keep an eye on pedestrians and pets along the road.
  4. Stay cool, calm, and collected. It's best to avoid making eye contact with aggressive drivers. As hard as it can be, ignore any aggressive facial or hand gestures. And don't race aggressive drivers - you run the risk of inciting their road rage. Other drivers do stupid things. The best drivers don't get mad or try to get even.
  5. Get the authorities involved. If you see an aggressive driver or trouble ahead, get to a safe place to pull over and call authorities or the police. Any information you can provide - a description of the vehicle, its license plate number, the direction it's going - will be helpful. Some areas allow you to use your cell phone to call the appropriate authorities with special numbers like #77. If an aggressive driver crashes or causes an accident, try to stop safely a good distance from the scene. Wait for the police to arrive so that you can tell them about the aggressive behavior you witnessed.
  6. Don't drive if you are under the influence or very sleepy. Alcohol, illegal drugs, and some prescription medications affect a person's judgment, including the ability to make important braking and steering decisions on the road. That means you'll be less able to react quickly and drive defensively. Sleepy drivers can be just as bad as intoxicated drivers, so make frequent rest stops or let a friend drive if you're tired.
  7. Don't take risks. When in doubt, don't pass. And keep a safe following distance. That way you can avoid a collision, stay in your lane, and not get rear-ended if the driver in front of you slams on the brakes.

If you're interested in taking a full defensive driving course, contact your state's Department of Motor Vehicles. All states keep a list of defensive driving courses that are approved by the state - even some that are online. They cost money, but some insurance companies give people who've taken the course a discount in insurance rates.

Happy (defensive) driving!

LATEST NEWS: "Drivaware Releases Preliminary Consumer Survey on Driver Blind Spot Awareness"

Study shows cell phone use decreases driver likelihood to check vehicle's blind spots

Thursday November 12, 7:20 pm ET

ANN ARBOR , Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Drivaware inc. reported on Friday its preliminary findings on the impact of cell phone use and driver's checking of blind spot zones prior to changing lanes. Based on a survey of 231 participants, survey results show that drivers talking on a cell phone were 52% less likely to (manually) check their blind spot prior to changing lanes. Study further shows that same drivers using a more advanced form of blind spot exposure (such as Drivawar's LaneFX) were only 18% less likely to check their blind spot prior to changing lanes when they are using a cell phone. The benefits of new auto safety technologies such as LaneFX is that it is positively improving drivers' on-road awareness despite the increasing number of in-cabin driver distractions. Drivaware inc. indicated that the complete study findings will be published in October of this year. -KAS 09/21/2006

LaneFX Safe Driving Tips:

LaneFX Helps Drivers Remember to Use Their Blinkers Before Merging or Changing Lanex

Latest LaneFX core driving tips gathered from LaneFX owners

  • Wear your seatbelt. Almost 40 per cent of all vehicle occupants killed in 2002 were not wearing a seatbelt. So whether you're a driver or passenger, buckle up.
  • Slow down. Excessive speed is a contributing factor in 20 per cent of occupant fatalities.
  • Each year, 25 per cent of deaths and 40 per cent of serious injuries from vehicle collisions occur at intersections. Be careful, even when you have the right of way, and remember to treat a non-working traffic light like a four-way stop.
  • In summer, there are more people on the roads in many different kinds of vehicles. Remember to watch out for motor bikes and bicycles and be courteous to these road users.
  • The safest place for kids under 12 is in the back seat. Have kids travel in the back seat, especially when there is an airbag for the passenger seat.

Don't drink and drive

Impaired driving is a problem that seriously affects the safety of our roads. Every year more than 1,100 people die in alcohol-related collisions - that's about one-third of the total number of fatalities. Thousands more are injured, many of them permanently disabled. In fact, nearly 40 per cent of seriously injured drivers consumed alcohol prior to their collisions.

Driving a car taps into almost all our basic skills - perception, attention, judgment, decision making, physical reactions - as well as our ability to coordinate these skills. Alcohol impairs these skills and our ability to drive.

  • Put simply, don't drink and drive.
  • If you are hosting a party or function where alcohol is served, remember that you may be legally liable for damage caused by guests - even after they have left the premises.

Check your tires

Without proper maintenance, your tires could fail and cause you to lose control of your vehicle. Proper tire maintenance is not only critical to the safe operation of your vehicle, but will also improve fuel economy, extend tire life, provide better vehicle handling, help prevent avoidable breakdowns and collisions, and reduce exhaust emissions that contribute to environmental, health and climate change problems.

  • Driving on under-inflated tires at high speeds on a warm summer day is a dangerous combination. For safety's sake, check your tires once a month, especially before you head out on a long trip.
  • Make sure your tires are inflated to the correct levels and do not exceed the load limit of your vehicle. This information can usually be found on the inside of the driver's door.
  • Inspect your tires regularly for uneven tread wear, cuts, cracks, bulges and foreign objects and rotate tires on a regular basis.

Sharing the road with large trucks and commercial vehicles

There are more commercial vehicles on Canada's roads now than ever before. These vehicles can be up to 40 times heavier than an average car and take more than twice the distance to stop. To prevent collisions with these vehicles, remember:

  • Avoid cutting in front of trucks or braking suddenly in front of them.
  • When you are in the driver's blind spot, move through quickly and never pass on the right, where the blind spot is even larger. If you can't see the driver's face in their side mirror, they can't see you.
  • When passing a truck, ensure you can do it safely, signal, then pass promptly. Be prepared to encounter splash and spray on wet roads.

Cell phones and other distractions

Pay attention-don't engage in distracting activities while driving. Cell phones and other devices such as electronic navigation systems are emerging as factors in road collisions.

  • Do not use a phone while driving.
  • Turn the phone off before you start driving. Let callers leave a message.
  • If there are passengers in the vehicle, let one of them take or make the call.
  • If you're expecting an important call, let someone else drive.

 

Back-over Accidents

Moms Put ParkFX to the Test

There are no government statistics, but some estimate the family car killed as many as 500 children across the country last year. And the accidents happened in their own driveways. While some may wonder what kind of parent could do that, Rachel Clemens said it could happen to just about anyone. Two years ago, her daughter Adrianna wandered out of her Garland home. That’s when Adrianna's father accidentally backed over the child with his SUV. "He didn't see her," Clemens said. "That was the last day I saw my daughter alive." So, how could you not see a child behind the family car? Three Dallas moms agreed to take a safety test with the understanding that they would not know exactly what the tests were about. While they were distracted filling out a questionnaire, Drivaware and Safe4Kids placed an orange cone about 8-feet behind their vehicles and the drivers were then asked to back up. All three plowed right over the cone. "Did I just run over something?" Adrienne Ludlow as said as she backed up. "Oh, I hit the cone," said Amy Gordon. "I figured it was a branch or something," said Merideth Manning. Drivaware and Safe4Kids measured the blind spot behind each of their vehicles. The Honda Pilot had a blind spot over 30 feet, an Infiniti G35 about 18 feet and a Chevy Tahoe more than 35 feet. The eye-opening experiment had all three women interested in the same thing, which was looking into safety equipment like ParkFX or a rear sensor that beeps faster the closer a driver gets to an object. Safety cameras mounted on the rear of car are also available. The cameras relay a picture of the blind spot to a screen on the dashboard. Both technologies are available on new cars with after-market installation costs less than $500. "I would absolutely buy it, but wouldn't think of it until you came over and showed me how dangerous this could possibly be," Gordon said. Attorney Windle Turley represents the Clemens family, which sued Nissan, the maker of the family's SUV. They claim the technology should have been standard equipment. The case is still pending. "Manufacturers take off this needed safety equipment so they can market their vehicle a little bit lower in price than their competitors; and that's really wrong,” Turley said.  The trade group representing automakers says, "the best defense against back-over accidents is to check around the vehicle before you back up." "That does not work and you're sending the wrong signal,” Clemens said.  Clemens, and several lawmakers in Washington, support legislation that would require automakers to put back-over safety equipment on all new cars. Experts say it would add up to $200 to the price. "To me, I think to anybody, any parent, the cost is nothing compared to a child's life," Clemens said. There are no official numbers, but one safety group estimates that in Texas more than 90 children have been killed in or around parked vehicles in the last 15 years.

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FEATURES & OPTIONS

Standard Features Interactive List
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BLIND SPOT INFO

About Drivaware Inc.
Press Room[ and Media Library ]
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FEATURED AUTO SAFETY ARTICLES & OTHER LINKS FOR SAFE LANE CHANGES

LaneFX is Safe for Leased Vehicles
LaneFX Voted #1 Driver Awareness Technology by BlindSpotSystems.com

HOW TO CHANGE LANES SAFELY WITH LANEFX

LaneFX Demo

Virtual LaneFX Tour
Top 10 Ways Drivers Use LaneFX
LaneFX Moments
Blind Spot Challenge / Driver Awareness Index Study
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COMPARE LATEST 12-VOLT CAR GADGETS

Competitive Comparisons
Why LaneFX is Right For You
Compare LaneFX
10 Reasons to Replace Your Stick-On Convex Auxilliary Mirrors with LaneFX
Independent Research Studies Stress the Importance of Safer Lane Changes

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Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQ)
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AARP: Safe Driving Tips for Senior Drivers

When you activate your turn signal (or at the touch of a button), LaneFX moves your power side mirror outward to show you what's in your blind spot. It pauses briefly and then returns the mirror to its original position.

Optional ParkFX tilts one or both (your choice) downward when you put the vehicle in reverse to show you the parking boundaries around and behind your vehicle.

LaneFX is designed and tested to work on any vehicle equipped with power mirrors, even systems with a factory mirror memory function - Guaranteed.

With our patent-pending "Intelligent Install" technology, all the installer2 has to do is make a few wiring connections. When turned on for the very first time, LaneFX automatically self-learns the electrical configuration of your entire vehicle. Streamlined installations mean less cost of ownership to you.

We're so confident that once you try LaneFX, you wouldn't want to go another mile without it. If you are not satisfied for any reason, please return your LaneFX unit within the first 30 days and we will refund your entire purchase price, including shipping & handling3 - no questions asked! In addition, every LaneFX system comes with a 120-day limited warranty.

There is a point in every new LaneFX experience where the driver has an "Aha!" moment. That's the moment when LaneFX gains your trust and becomes an indispensable part of your commute. Read what current owners have to say about their own "LaneFX Moment."
For a limited time, get a 20% instant cash savings with every LaneFX system. Check out our current promotions where you could save even more.

blind spot mirrors standard features
We all need a more secure solution to taking our eyes off the road in order to change lanes. US Government (NHTSA) reports indicate that 1 out of 25 collisions on America's highways is due to improper lane change1. LaneFX is safe, effective and best of all, you don't have to learn it or change anything about your driving style to use it. LaneFX now boasts suite of driver awareness and safety features. Take a look:

It's not a replacement mirror! LaneFX works with your vehicle's existing power mirror system - There's nothing to replace & no worries about fit or compatibility.

Separate Control of the Left and Right Mirrors using your turn signals or the standard LaneFX activation buttons.

"Mirror-In-Motion" LED Indicators keep you informed whenever LaneFX is moving one of your mirrors.

Fully-Customizable Mirror Movement to Fit Every Driving Style. You decide how far each mirror expands, how long it pauses when it gets there and how fast it should move altogether. All customizations can be made separately to the left and right mirror.

Safely Boost Power Mirror Movement Speeds Up to 200%4 of factory speed for maximum responsiveness.

Turn Signal Link with Two Selectable Turn Signal Modes4 (normal and sticky) to suit every driving style.

Mirror Return Override allows you to keep a mirror expanded for as long as you need (most useful in highway merge situations).

Mirror Return Accuracy Technology ensures that your mirror always return to their original position, even after repeated use.

ParkFX - Curb Exposure & Park Assist System4 tilts you mirrors down when you put your vehicle in reverse to show you the parking boundaries around you.

Large Menu-Based LCD Screen to enter all of your customization preferences -- no complicated dials or dip switches anywhere!

Instant Web Upgrades. You can unlock optional features instantly using the internet well after you've purchased and installed your LaneFX system.

"Intelligent Installs" Technology allows LaneFX (once wiring is connected) to self-learn the electrical configuration of your vehicle automatically. This reduces installation time and your cost of ownership.

Fully-Reversible Standard Installations5 take the worry out of installing LaneFX even in leased vehicles.

Available Multi-Vehicle Kit allows you to use one LaneFX unit in multiple vehicles.

Quality Automotive-Grade Hardware with:
Ready to install with all hardware included - nothing more to buy5
Industry standard Molex brand automotive wiring harnesses
Certified for temperature extremes, EMI, and NVH automotive standards


Made in USA using US-sourced components

LaneFX Site Map Site MapLaneFX Site Map Drivaware Corporate Gateway CorporateDrivaware Corporate Gateway Chat with LaneFX Safety Team Customer ServiceChat with LaneFX Safety Team View Shopping Cart / Checkout Shopping Cart
LaneFX is proudly made in the USA using US-sourced components MADE IN U.S.A. Drivaware reminds you to always wear your seatbelt, exercise caution when merging or changing lanes, obey all traffic laws and always rely on your primary senses in making driving decisions. Drivaware and LaneFX are trademarks of Drivaware Inc. Patents Pending. Copyright © 2005-08. All rights reserved. Drivaware Inc. 1756 Plymouth Rd., Suite #500, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 USA.

0 LaneFX demo shown does not represent the full suite of LaneFX features and functions.
1 US National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) 2002a Fatal Accident Reporting System data.
2 Professional installation highly recommended.
3 Full refund guarantee is available only on installed LaneFX systems. If unit was never installed in a vehicle, a 20% restocking fee will be assessed.
4 Optional features available on select LaneFX Editions or as standalone upgrades.
5 Non-custom installations only.