Cadillac Envisions Crash-Proof Car

DETROIT - August 28, 2010: George Jetson's flying car isn't here yet. But safety engineers at Cadillac are working on something arguably better -- a crash-proof car.

It may sound like sci-fi, but it's not all that far-fetched.

John Capp, director for Global Active Safety for Cadillac, says future Cadillac technologies could include in-vehicle Doppler radar to spot obstructions or traffic jams ahead. Looking even further out, Capp sees autonomous vehicles that can communicate with each other, traffic signals and buildings, pointing to a world where cars may actually drive themselves.

"We see things moving toward a point in the future where perhaps vehicles won't crash," said Capp. "We work on developing advanced safety technologies for Cadillac that alert drivers to potential dangers around them."

Cadillac is already evolving its technology to come closer to the vision of a crash-proof car. Capp and his team of engineers, inventors and futurists have developed life-saving active safety technologies that are already in place on the 2010 Cadillac DTS Platinum, including:

Lane departure warning - a camera-based lane detection system that warns the driver when he or she leaves their lane without signaling. The camera, mounted near the inside rearview mirror, identifies traffic lane markings and provides audible alerts.

Blind spot alert - twin radar beacons that detect an object in a vehicle's blind zone and provide a visual warning in the outside side mirror.

Adaptive cruise control - sensors detect objects in a vehicle's path and slow the vehicle down to avoid a collision.

"We're evolving those technologies to develop the capability where vehicles will be able to avoid crashes," Capp said.