Michigan Cadillac Dealers to Offer Industry-First Safety Options in Cadillac XTS Sedan

March 30, 2012 - PRLog -- DETROIT – General Motors has ensured that Michigan Cadillac dealers and all others across the country are able to offer some of the safest cars to consumers. This spring, Cadillac is adding new technology that may be considered revolutionary. The all-new Cadillac XTS luxury sedan will come stocked with the industry’s first car offering “directional tactile sensation” or, easier, vibrations of the driver’s seat bottom to warn the driver of crash threats such as drifting out of one traffic lane to another.
“It’s good to see automakers experimenting with new technology to help communicate to drivers when their driving is about to get them into trouble,” said Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. “We commend GM for their innovative use of haptic feedback and hope that drivers find it helpful.”
Michigan Cadillac dealers have learned specific details such as the Cadillac Safety Alert Seat is designed to vibrate in a specific pulse pattern on the left or right side of the cushion whenever a potential danger is registered. Because this system combines other visual alerts to the driver as well, it makes alerting the driver more accurate and fairly quick.
“It’s akin to someone tapping on your shoulder in a crowd to get your attention,” said General Motors Active Safety Technical Fellow Raymond Kiefer. “Using the tactile sense to communicate crash threat direction provides an effective and intuitive way to cut through the clutter of visual and auditory sensory information that drivers routinely experience.”
There are other pieces included with the seats in the Cadillac Driver Awareness and Driver Assist packages such as:
•   Forward Collision Alert
•   Lane Departure Warning
•   Side Blind Zone Alert
•   Rear Cross Traffic Alert
The new package that will be available in the fall is called the Drive Assist Package which will include other features such as:
•   Adaptive Cruise Control
•   Automatic Collision Preparation
•   Front and Rear Automatic Braking Systems
Other options such as the Park Assist system work together with the already mentioned Rear Cross Traffic Alert system to help drivers park in tighter spaces. Everything works together with exterior cameras, parking guides on an included eight-inch LCD screen and other center instrument panel options.
Michigan Cadillac dealers may not see the vehicle for a couple more months, but the vehicle is definitely worth the wait if safety is a main concern.