Lane-departure warning (Lane-departure warning LDW)

Keywords

What is a lane departure warning system?

A lane departure warning (LDW) system is a form of electronic driver assistance that warns the driver when their car begins to stray outside of its lane, unless the indicator has been switched on to show that a lane switch is intentional.

The car uses cameras and sensors to see the lane markings and, if they tell the system that the car is not between the lines, an alert (a beeping sound, light or vibrating steering wheel) is triggered to warn the driver.

The point of the system is to minimise accidents caused by driver error, distraction and drowsiness, keeping you in check.

Related Jargon

What is lane-keeping assist?

Lane-keeping assist (LKA) works alongside lane departure warning (LDW) technology to keep a car within a marked lane on the road.

How does a blind-spot warning system work?

A blind spot warning system uses sensors to look for other vehicles around the car – which might be in a driver’s blind spot and not covered by one of the car’s mirrors.

What is ADAS and how does it work?

Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) have been developed to automate many of a car’s safety systems, with the aim of reducing the chances of human error, which account for over 90% of all collisions on the road.

What exactly is a self-driving car?

A self-driving car – also known as an autonomous car – is one that can move along a road with little or no need for human control.

What is a lane departure warning system?

A lane departure warning (LDW) system is a form of electronic driver assistance that warns the driver when their car begins to stray outside of its lane.

How does LiDAR work in cars?

LiDAR - ‘light detection and ranging’ - is a type of sensor that works by sending out pulses of infrared light millions of times a second, and measures how long they take to come back after bouncing off objects close to it.

What is a pedestrian detection system on a car?

Pedestrian detection systems are one of the current generation of driver assistance systems that use radar and cameras to spot potential collisions.