We all had that problem – the size of the parking lot being too small, or cars being parked in crooked manners that messes up our ability to park in small lots. The fear of changing lanes while running the risk of having vehicles in our blind spots. Or even being jam packed in a jerky, car-sick inducing traffic jam. We all have experienced such instances where the driver needs to pay extra attention to the road ahead, or have exquisite concentration to maneuver the vehicle in and out of traffic. Surely, it is a cause of safety concern, and this concern would all the more be prominent for rookie drivers, or while driving vehicles that we may not be accustomed to (i.e. driving a rental car in Singapore).
As such, car manufacturing companies have taken it upon themselves to solve this parking issue for drivers, to hopefully improve the parking experience, and help us ease the jitters of parking. With constant progression of technology, the advancement provides real time parking availability information to improve parking experience. This may be especially useful for customers of car rental companies who are renting luxury cars, or newer car models of 2.0L and above, where these driver-assistance features are more prevalent as it helps guides and facilitates new drivers of vehicles to have better estimation of the car relative to its environment, and create a better parking experience for drivers.
What Are Driver-Assistance Features?
There are various types of driver-assistance features, and here is a list of some of these features and their functions.
Adaptive Cruise Control
Stuck in traffic and have to always have all eyes and attention on the road, all while constantly putting your foot on the brakes, frustratingly waiting for the vehicle ahead to inch forward so that you can release your brake and cruise ever-so-slightly forward? Well, the car manufacturers have heard your woes and have designed an adaptive cruise control for most vehicles.
As the name suggests, when activated, the adaptive cruise control feature uses the car’s radars and sensors to alter or adapt the car’s set cruising speed should it detect a slower vehicle ahead. When engaged, the car will maintain a specific distance away from the car ahead and depending on the set function, the vehicle will either come to a complete stop and resume its speed when the traffic starts moving. Such functions are more commonly used for dense-traffic scenarios, where the car is stuck in long jams.
Forward Collision Warning
Similar to the Adaptive Cruise Control, the forward collision warning system provides both visual and audio warning to drivers to signal an imminent collision. Some car manufacturers have even built in an automatic emergency braking system should the driver have taken no action. Since not all rental cars have this function, it is good to ask your car rental company during the test drive period.
Active Park Assist
Ever tried to squeeze into small lot spaces in a crowded, dimly-lit car park, while having a line of cars waiting impatiently for you to park your car as you are blocking the traffic in the narrow road? I’m sure most, if not all drivers have faced that issue before, and it is one of, if not the most anxiety-inducing parts of driving. Now, added on to the difficulty of parking with a newly rented car. With most drivers needing to take some time to get accustomed to their rented vehicle, would driver-assistance technology help to ease or hinder the difficulty of driving?
Through the use of cameras, sonars and radars, the active park assist system helps measure the parking lot space and assist the driver in steering the vehicle into the lot. For some rental cars, it could only be for perpendicular parking, but for others, both parallel and perpendicular parking capabilities exist. Though these systems may not be perfect all the time due to certain blind-spots (curbs, poles, sharp edges etc.), it does its job in facilitating the act of parking, especially for drivers who are unfamiliar with the rental car.
Blind-Spot Monitors
On top of facilitating the parking process, blind spot monitors are one of the key safety features. Arguably one of the most useful functions of the safety features, the blind spot monitors use sonar sensors in the rear bumper and/or cameras on exterior mirrors to watch out for vehicles on adjacent lanes, alerting the driver if there might be vehicles behind the driver’s blindspots. Regardless of whether you are a seasoned or a rookie driver, these warning signals of flashing lights or ‘beep’ sound going off when a vehicle is detected close by driving past on adjacent lanes generally do help keep drivers and passengers safe while changing lanes, especially in busy traffic.
Lane Keeping Assistance
For commuters who drive a good distance on the expressway, having this lane-keeping assist feature is one sure safety feature that comes in handy as it helps keep you in the lane and prevent lane departures through making small changes to steer and keep the vehicle in its intended lane. Some rental cars do this correction quietly, while others provide visual and audio alerts to the driver.
A New Car Rental Experience Moving Forward
Of course, having safety features in the rental car may not be seen as the next “big thing”, but these small incremental changes to these luxurious and/or newer rental cars, have made road trips a little safer, car park parking a little less stress inducing and driving a little smarter.
Interested in renting a car with these smart parking systems? Simply get in touch with us at +65 6285 6616 or at sales@bizlinkgroup.com.sg to speak to our friendly sales associates, to learn more about the safety features of our rental cars, and to start your rental journey today.
