Forward Collision Warning: Everything You Need to Know

What is Forward Collision Warning?

Forward collision warning systems, FCW, warn the driver of an impending collision by scanning and detecting stopped or slowly moving vehicles ahead of theirs. Forward collision warnings use radar, lasers, and/or cameras to scan the road ahead while you drive your car. If there happens to be an impending collision, the system will warn you of the danger. The system uses lights, beeps, vibrations of your seat, or a combination of these to indicate and warn. Some FCW systems may also tighten your seat belt and pre-charge the brakes, making it easier for you to stop the car as quickly as possible.

How is it Used?

Activating/Deactivating

Most forward collision warning systems are active by default at speeds greater than 16-20 kmph. You can deactivate the same by pressing the FCW system button or by accessing the forward collision warning settings using your car’s infotainment screen/display. You can check the user’s manual for further details when it comes to your specific vehicle/car.

FCW and how to manage

You must be always mindful to maintain a safe following distance from the vehicle in front of you while using the FCW system. This system is designed to warn you when you are dangerously close to the vehicle ahead of you. When you use the system and it warns you, you must be prepared to use the brakes or the steering to safety.

Speed and distance sensors

The forward collision warning systems use both distance and speed calculations to aid in keeping you safe. The most common kind of distance sensor uses a radar to detect traffic ahead of your vehicle. But some systems use lasers, cameras, or a combination of both.

Radar-based systems

Radar-based forward collision warning system works when the radar sends radar waves that reflect off objects in front of your car. Based on the radar reflection, the FCW uses the speed of the car and the changing distance between the vehicle ahead of you to detect if a collision is imminent.

Automatic Emergency Braking

Some forward collision warning systems work alongside the Automatic Emergency Braking. If your car has automatic emergency braking, the system helps you evade a crash by applying the brakes urgently when a crash is imminent.

Types of FCW

Forward-collision warning systems usually take one of two categories to operate: Vehicle detection or vehicle and pedestrian detection. Automobile manufacturers and car techies have gravitated toward the more complete systems that provide pedestrian detection to offer more safety features in their vehicles. Many systems leverage or are companions to the FCW. This is seen most commonly with automatic emergency braking (AEB), which works with FCW to apply brakes when a crash is likely to take place.

Then some vehicles come with intersection turn assistance and other features where sensors that detect vehicles and pedestrians are important. Manufacturers wrap other FCW systems into more complex safety features including adaptive cruise control and other features to create hands-free or semi-autonomous driving packages.

Challenges of Using Forward Collision Warning

Road Conditions

The FCW system might struggle on icy and wet roads since it might find it difficult to adjust to varied road conditions. Wet and slick roads may increase the chances of skidding, resulting in the FCW system warning you a little later than usual, resulting in a potential collision. You must also understand that the use of the FCW and automatic emergency braking are not advised during bad weather conditions.

Bicycles and pedestrians

A few systems do not detect obstacles or even vehicles because of their size and shape. If you are driving on busy and narrow streets with multiple small and big vehicles, it is not advisable to rely on your FCW system.

Bad Weather

It is not advisable to use the forward collision warning system during inclement weather conditions like rain and snow. In such climatic conditions, the system will not be able to see what is in front of your vehicle. Likewise, the sensors may also become covered or disturbed by the storm or rain, causing them to not function at all at times.

Low Light and Glare

A few FCW systems, particularly those that are laser or camera-based, may not function correctly during circumstances with low light or glared vision. The system might struggle a bit while driving through a dark tunnel or when the lighting changes abruptly.

Cars in India with the Forward Collision Warning System

Today, many newer models of cars come standard with FCW. The concern is that many manufacturers use proprietary branding to emphasize safety equipment, making it difficult to understand what is and is not available. For example, Audi includes its FCW system in its Pre-Sense package; Honda builds it into its Honda Sensing suite of ADAS whereas Mercedes-Benz combines FCW and AEB and calls it Active Brake Assist.

Other cars include:

• Honda City
• Hyundai Verna
• Hyundai Tucson
• MG Astor
• Tata Harrier
• Mahindra XUV700

Conclusion

The FCW system can help enhance your driving experience to quite an extent. It is the latest car technology that was invented for safety enhancement while driving a car. It is always advisable to find a car for yourself that comes with all the latest safety features for the best experience of modern driving. Especially when you are planning to buy a used car, always consider buying one that comes packed with the newest and upgraded features like the FCW and ADAS.