Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy website The Seat Tarraco’s new assistant: The car that looks out for cyclists
december 11, 2018 - Seat

The Seat Tarraco’s new assistant: The car that looks out for cyclists

  • The new SUV features an assistant that detects the presence of cyclists, who are involved in 8% of all road accidents in Europe
  • The car alerts the driver with an audible and visual warning signal, or even brakes automatically
  • At 72 km/h, the vehicle begins to brake 20 metres prior to a possible collision with a cyclist riding in the same direction as the car

ASEAT engineer and two of his cycling enthusiast friends take to the road to show us how the new driving assistant on the #Seat Tarraco operates to protect riders, as they are involved in 8% of traffic accidents in Europe. This is how it works:

- A car with the ability to recognise a bicycle: At the wheel of the #Seat Tarraco, Esteban Alcántara, who is responsible for Active #safety at #Seat, encounters a couple of cyclists travelling in the same direction. When he gets closer to them, “the front mounted el radar detects their presence, and according to the trajectory and speed of both the car and the cyclists, triggers a number of actions to prevent a possible collision”, he says.

- Every second counts: When the assistant on the #Seat Tarraco detects an imminent collision in 1.5 or 2 seconds, it activates an audible and visual warning. If the driver does not react, the car automatically begins an emergency braking manoeuvre between 0.8 and 1 second before the possible accident takes place. According to this engineer, in a real driving situation this means that “when driving down a road at 72 km/h, the car would begin to respond approximately 20 metres before a possible collision”, he adds.

- 1,200 development tests: This is how many trials this assistant goes through, by recreating 450 different scenarios on a track. “Simulations are performed in several real driving conditions. Structures are used that reproduce the properties of different road users, such as pedestrians or cyclists, to test how the vehicle responds in each situation”, explains this engineer.

- The driver is ultimately responsible: Alcántara acknowledges that driving assistants are of great help at the wheel: “Active #safety systems play an increasingly important role in protecting road users, and in some cases can prevent accidents or minimise their consequences.” However, this expert points out that the person driving the car is always ultimately responsible. “This kind of assistant is no substitute for the driver’s obligation to remain alert, respect traffic regulations, reduce speed and maintain the #safety distance when passing a cyclist”, he states. At the same time, cyclists have to ride on the right, wear a bicycle helmet in built-up areas, and they are not allowed to ride in a group.

- Keeping everyone safe: “At the #Seat R&D Centre we are sensitive about protecting drivers as well as all other road users”, says Esteban. Furthermore, company designer and amateur cyclist Tony Gallardo also emphasises that “more and more people are taking a liking to this sport, so we must stay committed to promoting the correct conduct on the road and to keeping everyone safe”, he adds.

Related news

january 18, 2021
september 02, 2020
december 10, 2019

SEAT #Tarraco delivers #performance as production starts of 2.0 TSI 245PS DSG 4Drive version, available with both 5 and 7-Seat opt...

Front-wheel drive variant brings together four-cylinder 2.0 litre TDI unit with 150PS and seven speed DSG dual-clutch transmission...

Front-wheel drive #tarraco brings together turbocharged 1.5 litre 150PS petrol engine with seven-speed automatic gearboxNew combin...

You might be interested in

july 10, 2019
february 28, 2019
january 03, 2019

SEAT is making enhancements to its range of vehicles to improve the  attractiveness and usability of its rangeThe updates will add...

SEAT’s flagship #SUV achieves the highest five-star #safety rating from Euro NCAPThe testing demonstrated the Tarraco’s outstandin...

SEAT will remember 2018 as the year that saw the birth of CUPRA, the launch of the Tarraco and the presentation of record sales an...