Winter is here and commuting to and from work is likely to become more challenging with unsettled weather combined with complete darkness. As a result of this, there is reduced visibility and slippery road surfaces and therefore an increased risk of accidents.

According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA), 40% of all road accidents occur when visibility is reduced at night. Ford has a range of technologies available on their cars that are designed to assist the driver with monitoring the road ahead of them and detecting any potential hazards. The latest lighting technologies allow the road to be illuminated more efficiently and the car to be more visible to other road users.

“Driving at night presents additional challenges, especially at this time of year when drivers may not be used to driving with their lights on,” Mauro Assis, Ford engineer.

Ultra-bright bi-xenon High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps and LED daytime running lights are an optional extra on some Ford models to ensure that travel safety is optimised day and night.

To assist drivers in the winter months, Ford has developed a range of new technologies on their cars to improve driver safety including:

• Adaptive Front Lighting System – the car’s headlight beams automatically change when the steering wheel is turned, nearly doubling the visibility distance around corners.
• Automatic Headlights – the car’s lighting will automatically switch on when the outside light level falls below the recommended light levels. The lights will usually be activated at dusk and should also activate when driving into tunnels.
• Automatic Headlight High Beam Control – the car’s headlights will automatically detect on-coming vehicles and switch to dipped beam until the car passes before switching back to high beam when it detects that there is no longer a car approaching.

Some drivers also worry about the potential dangers from walking between their car and front door. Ford’s home-safe headlight technology enables the car headlights to stay on for a short while after the engine has been switched off. The headlights will light up the area in front of the car so the driver can get into their house safely.

If you wish to optimise your driving safety this winter, take a look at the new Ford Focus at Peoples Ford today.