In our last Safety Saturday post, we talked about Blind Spot Warning and how it uses lights in your A-pillar or side mirror to let you know there is a vehicle traveling in your blind spot. There is another safety feature in the Safety Sheild 360® suite that uses these same lights and tones to warn you of vehicles crossing behind you. That feature is Rear Cross Traffic Alert.
According to Nissan, Rear Cross Traffic Alert “can help detect cross traffic coming from either side of the rear of the vehicle” when you are in reverse. (Safety Shield 360 Walkaround) This feature will only work if you are moving at less than 5 miles per hour. The perfect scenario for this feature is the grocery store parking lot. Have you ever been backing out of your tight space in the Walmart parking lot and been honked at because you almost backed into someone coming down the aisle? This is the perfect feature for you! The Rear Cross Traffic Alert could detect that vehicle and use the same sensors, lights, and tone as the Blind Spot Warning to alert you. In my opinion, this was a genius move on Nissan’s part. Using a light placed in an already familiar place will help your brain to recognize the alert easier and may even make your reaction time faster.
Rear Cross Traffic Alert is a feature that would benefit all drivers. There are many times throughout the day that we put our vehicles into reverse. Whether we are backing out of the driveway or a parking space, this feature will come in handy.
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