2012 LS
Dec 18, 2012– Brussels, Belgium (Techreleased) –Safety being of fundamental importance to the Lexus brand, the LS range has consistently offered the highest level of sophisticated, integrated, active and passive safety technology in the world.
- Lexus’ first, new Adaptive High-beam System (AHS) automatically switches between low, high and shielded beam modes to enhance night time visibility
- Further Advanced Safety Features:
- Advanced Pre-Crash Safety system (A-PCS) with collision avoidance assist & one of the industry’s most advanced obstacle detection systems helps avoid or mitigate collisions with vehicles and pedestrians even at night
- Adaptive Cruise Control operating at vehicle speeds between 0 and 200km/h
- Upgraded Lane-Keep Assist system (LKA) offers assistance at lateral road cambers and crosswinds
- Enhanced Blind Spot Monitor (BSM)
In the further development of the safety technology for the new Lexus flagship, a focus was placed on the two most common sources of fatal accidents in developed countries: those that involve pedestrians and those caused by vehicles deviating from their own lanes.
New Adaptive High-beam System (AHS)
The newly developed Adaptive High-beam System (AHS) is one of the important new safety features of the new LS.
During night driving, AHS automatically switches between low, high and shielded beam modes. Using a windshield head-mounted camera to detect vehicles ahead, the system activates shutters within the headlamp to partially shield illumination in the area occupied by the vehicle. When the shielded beam is activated, the lamp unit automatically swivels to adapt the range of the shielded illumination for both single and multiple lane traffic as well as through corners.
By shielding, rather than switching off the high beam, AHS can increase the average time spent driving under high beam illumination, thus improving road visibility not only for the LS driver but also for the driver of the oncoming vehicle.
Automatic High-beam
LS models not equipped with AHS feature an Automatic High Beam system. A camera located in the inner mirror detects light sources in front of the vehicle -including the headlamps of oncoming vehicles, the tail lamps of a vehicle ahead and street lighting- and the system will automatically switch the high beams on and off accordingly, reducing the need for manual operation of the dimmer switch.
Advanced Pre-Crash Safety System (A-PCS) with collision avoidance assist
The new LS offers significantly improved pedestrian safety also through an upgraded Advanced Pre-Crash Safety system (A-PCS) with collision avoidance assist. It is the most advanced pre-collision active safety system in the industry.
Depending on driving conditions, A-PCS is designed to assist the driver in avoiding or mitigating collisions with vehicles and pedestrians under a wide range of city and highway speeds, day or night.
When the system detects a vehicle, pedestrian, or obstacle ahead, an alarm alerts the driver to take appropriate steps to avoid a collision. In addition, if the relative speed between the driver’s vehicle and the obstacle ahead exceeds 40km/h, the system automatically applies brakes and brake assist to slow the vehicle and help to reduce the severity of a collision.
In the event that the relative speed between the driver’s vehicle and the obstacle detected ahead does not exceed 40km/h, if the driver does not take corrective action after receiving the alarm alert, the system automatically brakes. At these relative speeds, the system is designed to bring the vehicle to a stop to avoid a collision.
This system is intended to assist drivers, but it is the driver’s responsibility to be aware of the vehicle’s surroundings. The system cannot prevent all collisions and performance is dependent upon road, weather, and vehicle conditions.
Adaptive Cruise Control System (ACC)
Complementary to the PCS system, the LS also features an Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system. The system offers two modes: (a) constant speed control and (b) vehicle-to-vehicle distance control, and is capable of operating at any vehicle speed between 0 and 200* km/h. (*upper speed range differs by market)
Thanks to the millimetre-wave radar’s low speed, close proximity distance measuring ability, it enables ACC to operate in slow or congested traffic, and can bring the LS to a complete standstill, and accelerate away once the road ahead is clear.
Other Safety Features
The Lane-Keep Assist system (LKA) has been enhanced to automatically correct deviations caused by road camber changes and crosswinds. A Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) system and Lexus Night View are also available to help the driver’s visibility.
