Rear traffic collision avoidance assist is a feature that can help you look out for oncoming traffic, cyclists, and pedestrians as you reverse out of a parking spot.
The system is designed to warn you through warnings on the infotainment screen and blind spot monitoring warning lights.
This feature is great because it can improve your confidence and reduce your anxiety when backing out of parking spots.
Backing out of a parking spot is difficult, especially in busy parking lots or streets. While most modern vehicles are equipped with backup cameras, they only help you see the area directly behind your vehicle. This is where rear traffic collision avoidance assist or cross-traffic alert systems come in. It’s a safety feature that can detect oncoming traffic, cyclists, and pedestrians that aren’t directly behind your vehicle
The system is designed to warn you when something is approaching from the left or right. Hyundai vehicles equipped with the system will warn you with a notification on the LCD located in the middle of your gauge cluster and a warning noise. If the backup camera is turned on, a warning notification will also be visible in the corner. The blind spot monitoring warning light on your side mirrors will also illuminate. Sometimes, it’ll apply the brakes automatically to avoid a collision.
The rear traffic collision avoidance assist is a safety feature that can detect oncoming traffic, cyclists, and pedestrians that aren’t directly behind your vehicle.
How Helpful Is Rear Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist?
Seeing oncoming traffic when you’re reversing out of a parking spot is difficult since a lot of objects can block your view, such as adjacent cars, your vehicle’s pillars, and the back seats. Relying on your vehicle’s mirrors and backup camera may not be enough since you’ll need to see the oblique angles out of your vehicle as well. Without rear traffic collision avoidance assist, your best bet when backing out onto a busy street or parking lot is to rely on another person to guide you out and warn oncoming traffic.
Aside from backing out into a busy road, this system can be even helpful in quiet parking lots. People who’ve parked in quiet parking lots can sometimes assume there’s no traffic around them and then be surprised when a car appears out of nowhere. After all, quiet neighborhoods or parking lots aren’t immune to low-speed accidents.
Rear traffic collision avoidance assist can give drivers the convenience of backing out without needing to look behind their shoulders or ask someone for help.
How Does the System Work?
Most rear cross traffic collision avoidance assist systems use two radar or ultrasonic sensors mounted on the rear bumper. Depending on the vehicle, these might be the same sensors used for the vehicle’s blind spot monitoring system. The sensor can precisely detect the distance of oncoming objects up to around 50 meters away. The sensors can also determine the oncoming vehicle’s speed. On Hyundai vehicles, the system warns the driver if the oncoming vehicle is traveling between 5 mph and 22 mph.
It’s crucial to remember that the system only works when you’re backing out under 5 mph. Overall, this technology can only help you avoid accidents when backing up, but only if you also play your part and work with the system. You should still reverse with caution and practice safe driving habits.
Lisa Conant grew up in Canada around a solid contingency of gear heads and DIY motor enthusiasts. She is an eclectic writer with a varied repertoire in the automotive industry, including research pieces with a focus on daily drivers and recreational vehicles. Lisa has written for Car Bibles and The Drive.
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