DEARBORN, March 13, 2009 – I'll readily admit that I dread parallel parking, especially when there is traffic behind me.  Do I have enough space?  Will I be able to perform the maneuver quickly?  Am I going to hit the curb?  Why didn't I pull into that parking lot two blocks back and avoid the anxiety altogether?

I've done an about face.  Name the street, pick the spot and I'll parallel park that bad boy in one try, with no hands, in rush-hour traffic – provided I can use Ford's Active Park Assist.

I was given the opportunity to try the company's new technology Thursday morning at the Dearborn Development Center (DDC) along with a group of journalists.  I'm sold. 

Active Park Assist is very easy to use.  The system is activated with the push of a button, which signals sensors to begin searching to the right or left of your vehicle (depending on which turn indicator is used) for a sufficient space.  Audio chimes and a digital display in the instrument cluster let you know when one is found.  Just follow the instructions on the display and heed the audio alerts.  The system directs the driver into the parking space. 

Take your hands off the steering; it's done automatically. The driver operates the accelerator, brake pedal and gear shift selector.  The system warns the driver when he or she is getting close to the other parked vehicles.  Back into the spot, pull forward, you're done.  Piece of cake.    

I parallel parked with Active Park Assist and watched several others test the system.  Each time, the maneuver was completed perfectly with no additional jockeying forward or backward. 

Ward's Automotive Associate Editor Byron Pope was also impressed with Active Park Assist.  He thinks it will benefit older drivers and those who have trouble parallel parking -- like me. 

"This system was very intuitive, easy to use and pulled you into a real tight spot with no problem at all," said Pope.   

Darrel Recker, supervisor, Electronic Power Assist Steering, says that Ford tested the Active Park Assist in some of the most challenging areas of Boston and Pittsburgh. 

Journalists at the DDC also experienced the benefit of Ford's new pull-drift compensation.  The software-based technology helps drivers offset vehicle pulling or drifting that can occur in steady crosswinds or on uneven roads.     

Pull-drift compensation and Active Park Assist both are enabled by Ford's Electric Power Steering (EPS) technology.  Introduced in early 2008 on the Ford Escape, EPS can improve fuel economy up to 5 percent and reduces emissions up to 3.5 percent. 

"We've been very pleased with customer feedback on EPS so far," said Recker. "We've received especially high marks on quality as it relates to steering and very good feedback on the fun-to-drive nature of the Escape. We're very excited to be able to offer EPS across our lineup." 

Active Park Assist will debut on several 2010 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles, including Ford Escape, Escape Hybrid and Flex.  By 2012, nearly 90 percent of Ford's North American product lineup will be EPS equipped.