TORRANCE, Calif., (Nov. 27, 2013) – Sometimes things just come out of nowhere when driving on the road.  Drivers may not see an obstacle, but the Lexus LS available Advanced Pre-Collision System (A-PCS) is designed to detect it and bring the car to a full stop.

The LS flagship luxury sedan models have offered bold styling, superior craftsmanship and dynamic handling for nearly 25 years. Now, as the LS embarks on its third decade in the premium luxury category, it blends modern refinement with advanced technology and safety options.

Available safety enhancements include the Advanced Pre-Collision Safety (A-PCS) system with collision avoidance assist. This system is designed to assist the driver in avoiding or mitigating collisions with vehicles and pedestrians under a wide range of city and highway speeds, by day or night. 

A-PCS includes a system that combines information from millimeter wave radar, near infrared projectors and a stereo camera to help sense a wide range of obstacles with by day or night.  Because some pedestrian collisions occur after dark, the A-PCS night detection capabilities are key enhancements to the effectiveness of this system.  The system provides enhanced recognition logic for analyzing images from stereo cameras.  The system helps detect moving, as well as stationary pedestrians.

If A-PCS determines that the possibility of a collision is high, the system triggers or activates:
 

• A warning light and buzzer;
• Brake Assist (BA) to increase braking force when the driver presses the brake pedal;
• Steering assist via Variable Gear Ratio Steering (VGRS) to help improve the vehicle’s response;
• Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) to stiffen the dampers to help control nose drive;
• Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) system to help increase vehicle control during an evasive maneuvers.

At speeds lower than 24 miles per hour, this technology helps the LS to avoid accidents by automatically bringing the LS to a full stop if the driver does not take any corrective actions.

A-PCS is designed to help reduce the crash speed and damage in certain frontal collisions only.  This system is not a substitute for safe and attentive driving.  System effectiveness depends on many factors.  These available advanced technology bells and whistles may be silent, but they can help assist LS drivers day or night.

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