ADAS is an acronym for “Advanced Driver Assistance Systems.” ADAS refers to a suite of safety systems that can be found throughout any modern vehicle and across various components — even in those you least expect. The goal of ADAS is to enhance vehicle safety by alerting drivers to potential dangers before they result in collisions. Many driver assist systems are obvious, such as cruise-control, hands-free dialing, collision avoidance and automatic braking. However, others are less so and are virtually invisible, such as those found in your windshield.
The Windshield Camera
Not only does your vehicle’s ADAS extend to your windshield in the form of a windshield camera but also, your windshield’s camera can make or break the effectiveness of most other safety systems. This is because your windshield essentially serves as your vehicle’s eyes.
The camera in your windshield can see everything that sensors within, say, the dash or your review mirrors, cannot see. When it detects anything amiss, it sends a signal to all other relevant driver assist components. Thanks to information those components receive from your windshield camera, they can respond accordingly.
5 ADAS Features That Rely on Your Windshield Camera
So, which safety features, exactly, rely on your windshield camera for information? You would be surprised. Below are five important safety features that work only when your windshield camera is well-calibrated:
- Adaptive Cruise Control: Adaptive cruise control adjusts your vehicle’s speed accordingly based on the speed of vehicles in front of it. It cannot do this, however, without your windshield sensor.
- Forward Automatic Collision Braking: This feature warns a driver when a collision is imminent and puts on the brakes for him or her. It gleans the information it needs from your windshield sensor.
- Forward Collision Warning: When a collision is imminent, this feature warns the driver via a signal. It relies on the windshield camera for the information it needs to warn drivers.
- Lane Departure Warning: If the windshield detects that you or a vehicle around you has or is about to depart from the proper lane, it sends a signal to a component within your vehicle, which then alerts you.
- Lane Keeping Assistance: Instead of just warning drivers that they are deviating from a lane, LKA helps drivers readjust when they start to drift out of their lanes. It can adjust accordingly thanks to the windshield sensor.
The Importance of a Perfectly Calibrated Windshield
As you can see, the windshield camera plays a vital role in vehicle safety, if not directly controls key safety features. If it is not accurately calibrated, there is the very real risk that the other safety components within your vehicle will not react when they’re supposed to — or worse, steer you toward danger rather than away from it. For this reason, it is crucial that you seek windshield repair from an auto glass shop that is ADAS certified. Astro Auto Glass is that shop in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
At Astro Auto Glass, we have the tools, technology, and know-how to calibrate windshields, properly repair windshields with safety systems and, when necessary, replace whole windshields and calibrate the new ones so they work with the vehicle’s ADAS. If your windshield is broken or damaged, your safety and the safety of the one’s you love is on the line. Entrust the repair and replacement to a certified auto glass technician. Contact Astro Auto Glass today.