All-new Transit Custom Could Help Prevent ‘Dooring’ Accidents
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Exit Warning is designed to help avoid drivers opening doors into the path of other road users.
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|Exit Warning is designed to help avoid drivers opening doors into the path of other road users.
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DUNTON, UK – Did you know that every year an estimated 500 people in the UK are injured because someone opened a vehicle door into the path of a passing cycle, scooter or motorbike?
Ford is hoping to help reduce the risk of these dooring accidents and make journeys safer for other road users through the introduction of innovative Exit Warning technology that uses radar and external sensors to help identify when an opening door might cause a collision with a passing road user.
Available on the all-new Transit Custom, it will activate LED indicators on the door mirrors and signal an alert on the dashboard if it detects an approaching object such as a cyclist. And, because it works on both sides of the vehicle, it is especially handy when the driver or other occupants exit the vehicle from the passenger door and cyclists might be on the pavement, or a cycle lane is running parallel to the road.
The technology could be especially helpful in the run-up to Christmas when van drivers can make up to 200 deliveries a day in busy urban areas.
“Vans are the lifeblood of our cities,” said Hans Schep, general manager, Ford Pro, Europe. “We know that dropping off hundreds of parcels a day can be difficult and demanding for delivery drivers – especially at this time of year. By offering Exit Warning on the all-new Transit Custom, we are aiming to make journeys safer for Ford Pro drivers and other road users as well.”
Exit Warning is also available on the all-new Tourneo Custom multi-activity vehicle, for which the protection extends to passengers exiting from the rear sliding side doors. Exit Warning will also be extended to the new electric Explorer crossover, new Mustang, and is expected to come to further Ford vehicles in 2024.