Driving too close to the vehicle in front is the cause of almost one in five accidents. For an adequate stopping distance at a speed of 100 km/h/62 mph there should be three posts between your car and the car in front on the motorway. The reaction and braking distance is around 100 m/328 ft.
The risk of collisions can be greatly reduced with a technical expansion of the electronic speed control. Using Volkswagen's Automatic Distance Control (ADR) the driver can select a certain distance and a speed from his car. The activated ADR keeps to these settings and, for example, adjusts its speed when nearing a vehicle and thus keeps the distance. As soon as the traffic ahead starts to move more quickly again or the driver moves to a free land, the vehicle once again accelerates to the previously set speed. On long journeys and when travelling in convoy in particular, automatic distance control ensures a comfortable and stress-free journey that provides more safety against collisions.
The system that works with a radar sensor and a control unit has a range of up to 200 m/656 ft. The control unit uses the signals from the radar sensor to calculate the distance from and the relative speed of vehicles ahead. However, the radar sensor cannot record stationary obstacles, such as crash barriers or the end of a traffic jam. The radar technology has the advantage that it works reliably in all weather and road surface conditions. The driver is relieved with support from the Automatic Distance Control and he/she can concentrate better on what is happening on the road. Maintenance of the safe distance is guaranteed and high fines cannot cause any more worry.
Glossary