ADAS (‘Advanced Driver Assistance Systems’) in cars are here to stay, especially REV, which will be compulsory from 6 July this year. If the acronym doesn’t sound familiar, you’ve almost certainly seen it in operation in a vehicle.
REV is just one of the systems within the complex safety structure of the new vehicles, which includes the unintentional lane change alert, the emergency braking system and the blind spot assistant. But from July this year, more precisely from the 6th, REV will become compulsory.
The reversing sensor is a system that warns of the presence of people or objects behind the vehicle when driving in reverse, using radars and sensors. Medium-range radars located in the corners of the rear bumper emit waves that are reflected by possible objects and people. On receiving the return of these waves, they determine the distance at which the objects are located, as reported by the Spanish newspaper ‘El Economista’. They can detect an object up to 50 metres away.
To detect closer objects, ultrasonic sensors located on the outside of the bumper are used, which detect between 3 and 4 metres away, using a system similar to radar. This system is complemented by a rear camera, allowing the driver to visualise their surroundings from the back of the car, making reversing easier.
As for the effectiveness of this system, a 2017 study based on accidents in New Zealand and four Australian states found that 41 per cent of accidents involving reversing vehicles and pedestrians could have been avoided with the use of camera-based systems, while using ultrasonic sensors alone would have prevented 31 per cent of accidents.
