Skoda’s safer-driving tech, explained
With a wealth of advanced driving aids that are intuitively Simply Clever to use, here’s how Skoda is making city and motorway driving safer...
Today’s cars are safer than they’ve ever been. Organisations such as Euro NCAP have researched swathes of old vehicle collision data and created comprehensive crash testing procedures to develop fastidiously rigorous regulations which every car must match if it wants to achieve a much-coveted Euro NCAP 5-star rating.
As one of the world’s leading car manufacturers, Skoda has supported these initiatives every step of the way – and has gone the extra mile to develop its own comprehensive suite of pioneering in-car tech that makes driving easier and safer.
So, lets break down all of Skoda’s key driving and safety aids, explaining how they work in simple terms, and putting the benefit they provide into context.
Obviously, a lot of this tech will vary from model to model. But, if you want to know more about how these systems work, which ones are right for you, and which of come on the particular model and trim of Skoda you’re considering, then just ask your Skoda retailer. They’ve got all the knowledge to help you make the right choice.
For now, though, let’s start your journey through Skoda’s smart connected tech where most journeys start: in the town and city.
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An extra set of eyes in the urban jungle
City driving can be incredibly stressful. Even though vehicle speeds are lower, you’re surrounded by a wealth of hazards. Other cars, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians are all in close proximity and almost certain to behave unexpectedly.
Add in a wealth of road infrastructure – road signs, traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, islands and speed bumps – and it’s easy to see how accidents happen.
But that’s where Skoda’s comprehensive suite of city-friendly safety aids can help. Take Front Assist. It’s a collision-alert system that monitors the road ahead of your vehicle to spot and prevent collisions with other road users – for example, when turning at a junction.
But what about hazards in your blind spots? Well, Blind-Spot Detection, Rear Traffic Alert and Exit Warning System use radar sensors at the rear of your Skoda to spot other road users and warn you. They’re great for negotiating busy multi-lane city traffic or pulling out of a parking space – especially if reversing.
Skoda is even using the always-online capability of its in-car Skoda Connect system and the power of anonymised ‘swarm’ cloud data from thousands of Skoda vehicles and other vehicles from the broader Volkswagen Group to pioneer tech that builds a database of potholes to warn other drivers. After all, according to Skoda research, around 27% of UK drivers have suffered car damage such as a puncture, misaligned tracking or cracked springs from a pothole, with an average repair cost of £200.
Last but not least, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of road ‘furniture’ on city streets. And that’s where Traffic Sign Recognition can help. It automatically spots the wealth of roadside warnings, including speed limits, no-overtaking signs, and no-entry on one-way streets, and displays them on your Skoda’s touchscreen navigation, instrument cluster or the optional head-up display.
Traffic Sign Recognition is also perfect for making sure you’re matching the right local speed limits on A-roads and motorways. Talking of which…
Lending a helping hand on A-roads and motorways
Motorway and A-road journeys make up a big portion of the driving we do. And, as speeds increase, so do the risks and the stress for drivers. And that’s why Skoda has placed a big focus on driving technology that makes the business of driving as easy and as safe as possible.
Adaptive Cruise Control tracks the speed of vehicles ahead of you and maintains and adjusts your speed to match other vehicles automatically – slowing for traffic and speeding back up to the speed limit once the road ahead is clear. Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control takes that to another level: using the Traffic Sign Recognition and map data to spot speed limit signs and blending it with speed limit data from the always-online navigation to adjust your speed to match the conditions automatically.
On long motorway and A-road journeys it’s easy to drift a bit – especially if lanes are narrower, such as in temporary road works. Lane Assist uses front-mounted cameras to recognise the road markings and give you a warning that you’re straying out of your lane. Lane Assist Plus goes one step further, intervening actively with a gentle nudge of the steering to keep you on the straight and narrow.
If things do grind to a halt, Traffic Jam Assist blends the Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Assist Plus to start, brake and turn your vehicle to copy the movement of surrounding vehicles.
Finally, on long journeys, Driver Alert reduces the risks of fatigue by monitoring your behaviour and your time behind the wheel and warning you if it makes sense to take a break. If your vehicle detects no steering wheel movement or any other signs of activity for a certain time and suspects that the driver has become incapacitated, Emergency Assist steps in – first, offering a warning, then a subtle steering wheel input, before automatically bringing the vehicle to a standstill and activating the hazard lights.
In the event of a collision…
They say the safest accident is an accident that doesn’t happen, and Skoda certainly has a wealth of smart driving aids to help prevent collisions with other vehicles. But, if you should be involved in an accident, Skoda has thought of that, too.
If your Skoda is involved in an extreme driving scenario – such as a sudden swerve or weave – Crew Protect Assist automatically pre-tensions the seatbelts and closes the side windows and sunroof almost fully to prevent objects entering the vehicle.
If you should be involved in a collision and the airbags are activated, the Multi-Collision Brake system brings your vehicle to a standstill to prevent further damage or a pile-up. The Emergency Call feature will then automatically call a nearby emergency centre and provide data such as the location, direction of travel, number of passengers and severity of the accident, ensuring that professional assistance can reach you as quickly as possible.
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